Which iconic bell in Philadelphia is a symbol of American independence?

The Liberty Bell is the iconic Philadelphia bell associated with American independence.

The bell was commissioned by Pennsylvania’s Provincial Assembly in 1751 to mark the 50th anniversary of William Penn’s Charter of Privileges. Made in London by Lester and Pack, later known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, it arrived in Philadelphia in 1752. Local founders John Pass and John Stow recast it after it developed a crack, and their names appear on the bell.

Its inscription quotes Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.” The bell was used to summon lawmakers and announce public meetings. Although popular tradition says it rang on July 4, 1776, there is no contemporary evidence for that story; it may have rung during the public reading of the Declaration on July 8.

The name Liberty Bell became widely established in the 1830s, when abolitionists adopted the bell as a symbol of freedom. Its famous large crack appeared decades later, probably in the 1840s. Today it is displayed at the Liberty Bell Center across from Independence Hall.