What was the Liberty Bell called before it became known by its famous America250-era name?

The Liberty Bell was called the State House Bell before it became known by its famous America250-era name.

The bell was commissioned in 1752 for the Pennsylvania State House, the building now called Independence Hall. Its inscription comes from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.” In its early years, it summoned legislators and announced public meetings rather than serving as a dedicated independence symbol.

The name “Liberty Bell” became common in the nineteenth century, especially as abolitionists adopted the bell as a symbol of liberty. Its famous crack developed after years of use, and local founders John Pass and John Stow recast it twice after the bell first cracked during testing.

A popular legend says the bell rang on July 4, 1776, but there is no reliable evidence for that story. It may have rung during the public reading on July 8, although historians cannot prove that either.