The Liberty Bell became an enduring symbol of American independence.
The bell was cast in London in 1752 for the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall. It was made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and cracked during an early test ring. Philadelphia founders John Pass and John Stow recast it twice in 1753, producing the bell associated with the city today.
Its inscription comes from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.” The wording made the bell especially meaningful to abolitionists and other reformers in the nineteenth century. The name “Liberty Bell” became widely established during the nineteenth century rather than at the time of the American Revolution.
The bell’s famous large crack developed sometime between 1817 and 1846, but the precise cause is unknown. It was rung publicly for the last time in 1846. The Liberty Bell is now displayed in the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia, near Independence Hall.