![Tyson Foods Plant [Photo: Food Manufacturing]](https://southarkansassun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/iStock_1185520857__1_.5e441daa51cca-600x337.jpg)
![Silverado Senior Living Management Inc. [Photo: Los Angeles Times]](https://southarkansassun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/download-6-4-600x337.jpg)
![China's Wuhan Institute of Virology [Photo: Nature]](https://southarkansassun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/d41586-021-01529-3_19239608-600x337.jpg)
The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia
The Liberty Bell might be Philly’s most overhyped tourist spot, except it’s actually worth your time. Beyond the perfect crack photo op, you’ll find a genuinely fascinating story about how a broken bell became a symbol for everyone from abolitionists to suffragists to civil rights leaders.
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London made this 2,080-pound bronze bell in 1751 for the Pennsylvania State House, which is now called Independence Hall. Here are more interesting facts about this icon.
How the Original Bell First Broke
The large crack we see today wasn’t the bell’s first break. When the bell first arrived in Philadelphia in 1752, it cracked during its test ring. Two local craftsmen, John Pass and John Stow, melted it down and made a new bell with extra copper to make it stronger. Philadelphia residents didn’t like its dull sound, so the craftsmen tried again.
Even after the second attempt, people still complained about the bell’s tone. The city kept this second version anyway, which is the same bell we see today. The famous crack appeared much later, during a celebration of George Washington’s birthday in 1846.
Why This Bell Became a Symbol of Freedom
People didn’t call it the Liberty Bell until 1839. Before that, everyone in Philadelphia just knew it as the State House Bell, and it mainly helped people know what time it was. The American Anti-Slavery Society came up with the name “Liberty Bell” when they put a picture of it on their newspaper.
They connected the bell’s Bible verse with their fight to end slavery. The new name spread quickly across America as people discussed slavery. By 1844, newspapers everywhere called it the Liberty Bell, and it became a powerful symbol of freedom for the whole country.
Where the Bell Traveled Across America
For thirty years, from 1885 to 1915, the Liberty Bell went on a remarkable journey by train. It traveled 28,000 miles to fairs and special events in New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco. These trips weren’t good for the bell’s condition.
The constant movement and handling caused pieces to break off, including a three-inch chunk that fell off in Chicago. After its last difficult trip to San Francisco, Philadelphia officials decided to keep the bell at home. Now it stays in a special room where the temperature stays at 70 degrees, and security systems watch over it day and night.
When the Bell Actually Rang for Independence
Many people think the Liberty Bell rang on July 4, 1776, but that’s not true. The bell actually rang four days later, on July 8, when Colonel John Nixon first read the Declaration of Independence to the public. The bell played an important role during the American Revolution.
It rang to announce the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, and it celebrated the victory at Yorktown in 1781. The story about the July 4th ringing came from a made-up tale written in the 1850s by George Lippard, who wrote about an old bell ringer.
What the Bell Was Originally Used For
The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the bell in 1751 for a simple reason: they needed to call lawmakers to meetings and help Philadelphia residents know the time. They paid £150 for it, which would be about £28,409 today.
The Assembly chose the Bible verse for the bell and added their own message: “By Order of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania for the State House in Philadelphia.” Besides government meetings, the bell rang for many city events.
What Metals Make Up the Bell
Scientists studied the Liberty Bell in 1975 and found an unusual mix of metals. It contains 70% copper, 25% tin, and small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold, and silver. Most bells at that time were made with more copper and less tin.
This special mixture gave the bell its unique sound but also made it more likely to crack. The bell’s surface has turned different shades of brown and green over time. Near the crack, there’s more copper oxide, which shows that chemical changes are still happening in the metal.
How Craftsmen Signed Their Work Inside the Bell
Deep inside the top of the Liberty Bell, there’s a hidden message that no one knew about for 200 years. Researchers found the words “Pass and Stow / Philadelphia / MDCCLIII” cast into the metal. Most European bell makers put their names on the outside of their bells.
Pass and Stow chose to hide their signature, perhaps because they weren’t sure how well their bell would sound. The words inside the bell look new compared to the outside because they’ve been protected from weather and touching.
How the Bell’s Last Ring Was Preserved
The Liberty Bell made its last complete ring on February 23, 1846 during a celebration of George Washington’s birthday. To preserve the Liberty Bell’s sound, its clapper was immobilized in 1915. And after a final mallet strike to announce the Normandy invasion, it was decided never to strike it again.
In 1999, a digital model was created to approximate its original sound. Visitors to the Liberty Bell Center can now hear what the bell probably sounded like when it rang during America’s early years.
Several Copies of the Bell Exist
In 1950, the U.S. Treasury Department asked for 55 exact copies of the Liberty Bell. The Paccard Foundry in France made these bells using the same size and metal mix as the original. Each bell weighs exactly 2,080 pounds and went to every state, territory, and Washington, D.C.
These copies don’t have a crack because they show how the bell looked when it was new. Several of these replica bells still ring each Independence Day. They make the same deep E-flat sound that the original Liberty Bell once made.
How Patriots Saved the Bell From the British
When British troops came toward Philadelphia in September 1777, men from Allentown planned a bold rescue. They hid the bell in a wagon under a lot of hay and thick blankets. The group traveled on back roads at night, staying in German-speaking areas to avoid British soldiers.
They kept the bell safe in Zion Reformed Church’s basement in Allentown for eleven months. When the British left in June 1778, the bell returned to Philadelphia with guards. Workers fixed its mount, and it went back to the State House tower, where it rang for another 68 years.
The Recasting of the Liberty Bell
In 1752, John Pass and John Stow recast the cracked Liberty Bell. Though inexperienced in bell casting, Pass had experience in metalworking from Mount Holly, New Jersey, and Stow was a young brass founder.
The original bell was melted down and recast at Stow’s foundry in Philadelphia. To improve durability, they added ten percent copper to the metal. By March 1753, the new bell was ready, with clearer lettering than the original.
The post America’s Most Famous Symbol of Freedom Was Actually Made in London and Cracked on Its First Test Ring appeared first on When In Your State.