The Philadelphia bell commissioned in 1752 that became a symbol of American liberty is the Liberty Bell.
The bell was ordered by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London firm Lester and Pack, later known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. It cracked during an early test after arriving in Philadelphia and was recast twice by local founders John Pass and John Stow. Their names appear on the bell.
Its inscription comes from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.” The bell originally served practical purposes, including summoning lawmakers and calling public meetings. Its best-known name developed in the nineteenth century, particularly through abolitionist use.
The popular story that the bell rang to announce the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, lacks contemporary evidence. It may have rung for the public reading on July 8, but historians cannot confirm that event. The famous crack and its inscription nevertheless made the bell a powerful national symbol.