The Liberty Bell was cast by London’s Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1751–1752.
The bell was ordered for the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. It cracked during an early test and was recast in Philadelphia by John Pass and John Stow. The inscription around its crown quotes Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.”
The bell became a national symbol of independence, especially during the 19th century. Tradition says it rang to announce the Declaration of Independence, but historians have found no contemporary evidence that it was rung on July 4, 1776.
The famous crack developed during the bell’s working life and was widened during an attempted repair in the 1840s. The Liberty Bell is now displayed in the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia, near Independence Hall.