The Pennsylvania Assembly had the Pennsylvania State House Bell made in 1751 to mark the 50-year anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges, which served as Pennsylvania's original Constitution. On the bell is the Bible verse: “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." Also included is information about the Assembly and the Bell’s maker.
No one knows with certainty when the bell first cracked. It is thought that a slight crack occurred on it's test ringing when it arrived in 1752. The last time it was rung, and when the crack greatly increased, was on Presidents Day in February, 1846.
When viewing the Liberty Bell, most people think the location of the bell’s crack is obvious. However, what most people believe is the Liberty Bell’s crack is in fact the attempted repair of the bell. If you look closely at the giant gash that runs down the Liberty Bell, you will notice that this is no natural crack, and was machine made. In an attempted repair, a drill was used to separate the two sides of the cracked bell to prevent the sides from rubbing together when rung, because it was thought that continued friction would further damage it.
To see the actual crack you have to look very closely. (see 4th photo) Follow the big man-made gap up to its end point, right between the “P” and “H” in “Philad”. From there, you will be able to see a very small hairline fracture that extends diagonally to the right, all the way up to the top of the Liberty Bell where it happens to intersect directly through the word “Liberty”. This hairline fracture is the crack that silenced the bell.
In 1835, an abolitionist journal called the Anti-Slavery Record was the first publication to refer to the State House bell as the Liberty Bell. In the subsequent years that followed, the Liberty Bell became a symbol of the anti-slavery movement and the Liberty Bell’s proclamation of liberty for ALL became a rallying cry of the abolitionist movement.
Over time, the Liberty Bell became an icon for many movements including the Labor Rights struggle, the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans, the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and LGBT Rights Movement. Before long, the Liberty Bell became associated with all American struggles of liberty and as a national symbol of all the liberties that had been fought for by American Citizens.
late 1800's 1877 1954
Crack that silenced the bell 1976 Pavilion built for Bicentenial Today
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