The Liberty Bell was hidden in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1777.
After the American defeat at the Battle of Brandywine left Philadelphia vulnerable, officials feared that British forces might seize the bell and recast it into munitions. The Liberty Bell and other important bells were removed from Philadelphia and transported under guard.
The Liberty Bell was hidden beneath the floorboards of Zion German Reformed Church in Allentown, then known as Northampton Town. It remained there for about nine months, from September 1777 until the British left Philadelphia in June 1778. The bell was then returned to the city.
A popular legend says the bell rang immediately after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, but there is no evidence for that story. Historical records do indicate that bells rang when the Declaration was publicly read in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. The bell later became a powerful national symbol, making its wartime concealment an important part of America250 history.