Who presented Philadelphia with the Bicentennial Bell in 1976?

Queen Elizabeth II presented Philadelphia with the Bicentennial Bell in 1976.

The bell was a British-made replica of the Liberty Bell and was given to the United States on behalf of the British people. Queen Elizabeth II presented it in Philadelphia on July 6, 1976, during the royal couple’s state visit connected with the American Bicentennial.

The replica was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same London foundry that cast the original Liberty Bell in the eighteenth century. Its inscription included “For the People of the United States of America from the People of Britain” and the phrase “LET FREEDOM RING.”

The Bicentennial Bell is distinct from the original Liberty Bell, which remained in Philadelphia. It was also different from the Centennial Bell made for the 1876 Centennial Exposition. The 1976 gift symbolized the historical relationship between Britain and the United States while marking the anniversary of American independence.