What was the Liberty Bell originally called before its later patriotic name?

The Liberty Bell was originally called the State House Bell. It was commissioned in 1751 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly for the bell tower of the Pennsylvania State House, the building now known as Independence Hall.

The bell was cast in London by Lester and Pack, later known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. After arriving in Philadelphia, it cracked during testing. Local founders John Pass and John Stow recast it twice, and their names appear on the bell along with the date 1753.

Its inscription comes from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.” The bell was used to summon legislators and announce public meetings. The name Liberty Bell became popular in the 1830s through abolitionist publications.

A common mix-up is the story that the bell rang immediately after the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. No contemporary evidence confirms that story. It may have rung during public readings on July 8, but historians cannot prove it.