Before its association with independence, the Liberty Bell was called the State House Bell.
The bell was commissioned in 1751 for the Pennsylvania State House, the building now known as Independence Hall. It was intended to summon legislators and alert Philadelphia residents to public meetings, proclamations, or danger.
The name “Liberty Bell” became popular much later. Abolitionist groups adopted the bell as a symbol in the 1830s and used the new name in connection with the campaign against slavery. Its famous crack also became part of its public identity, although the exact date and cause of the major crack are uncertain.
A popular story says the bell rang on July 4, 1776, immediately after Congress adopted the Declaration. Historians consider that story unsupported. It was likely among Philadelphia bells rung during the Declaration’s public reading on July 8, but no contemporary account specifically confirms that the Liberty Bell rang.