For America’s 250th anniversary, what was the original name of Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell?

Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell was originally called the State House Bell.

The bell was commissioned in 1751 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly for the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. Its inscription comes from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.” That biblical wording helped give the bell its later association with liberty.

The bell cracked during an early test after arriving from England and was recast in Philadelphia by John Pass and John Stow. Their names appear on the bell, along with the date 1753. It was used to summon lawmakers and announce public events.

The name “Liberty Bell” became established much later, particularly through abolitionist publications in the 1830s and 1840s. A popular legend says the bell rang on July 4, 1776, but no contemporary evidence confirms that story. It likely rang when the Declaration was publicly read on July 8, 1776.