The Liberty Bell is traditionally linked with the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The bell hangs in Philadelphia, where the Second Continental Congress met and adopted the Declaration in 1776. A long-standing tradition says that the bell rang on July 8, 1776, when the document was publicly read from the Pennsylvania State House.
Historians have questioned whether the bell could have been rung that day because the tower’s condition may have made ringing difficult. The story nevertheless became central to the bell’s national symbolism during the nineteenth century.
The bell was cast in 1751 and recast twice in Philadelphia after cracking. Its most famous crack developed during the nineteenth century. The name Liberty Bell became popular much later, especially during the abolitionist movement.