The Liberty Bell is traditionally said to have rung during the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The first documented public readings took place on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia, Trenton, and Easton. In Philadelphia, the declaration was read in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall. The bell in the state house tower became linked to that event through later tradition.
The bell was cast in London in 1752 for the Pennsylvania State House. Its famous crack developed after repeated use, although historians debate exactly when and how the final visible crack formed. The inscription around the bell quotes Leviticus: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Land Unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.”
The Liberty Bell’s connection with independence grew especially strong during the nineteenth century. It now stands in the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia and is a prominent symbol associated with the nation’s founding anniversary.