What was the Liberty Bell originally called when it hung in Pennsylvania’s State House?

The Liberty Bell was originally called the State House Bell when it hung in Pennsylvania’s State House.

The bell was cast in London in 1752 for the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. Its inscription quotes Leviticus: Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof. The bell cracked during an initial test in Philadelphia and was recast locally.

The name Liberty Bell became popular much later, especially during the nineteenth century, when abolitionists and other reform movements adopted the bell as a symbol of liberty. Earlier records generally referred to it as the State House Bell or the Pennsylvania State House bell.

The bell’s famous crack is not securely tied to a single event. It was repaired more than once and developed a major split in the nineteenth century. It is now displayed at the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia.