Liberty Bell, a cracked bronze symbol in Philadelphia

Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is a cracked bronze bell from the mid?eighteenth century whose inscription turned it into a lasting symbol of freedom.

Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is a large bronze bell from the eighteenth century whose crack and inscription have turned a practical State House bell into a lasting symbol of freedom linked with United States independence.

A colonial bell with a biblical inscription

Liberty Bell was commissioned in the early 1750s by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly for the Pennsylvania State House, the building later known as Independence Hall.commissioned in 1751 The assembly ordered a bell from a London firm then known as Lester and Pack, later called the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, reflecting the transatlantic connections of colonial Pennsylvania.Lester and Pack in London

The bell carries an inscription taken from the Old Testament book of Leviticus, reading “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”.Leviticus 25:10 inscription The phrase was chosen in the mid eighteenth century and later came to be closely associated with the struggle against slavery and efforts to expand civil rights in the United States.symbol of freedom after the American Revolution Around the upper part of the bell runs text identifying the Pennsylvania Assembly and its State House, while the front face records the names of the local founders John Pass and John Stow and the year 1753 when the bell was recast in Philadelphia.Pass and Stow 1753 casting

A working State House bell that became cracked

Liberty Bell began its life as a functional bell for a colonial legislature, hung in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House and used to summon lawmakers to sessions and to mark public events in Philadelphia.hung in the State House steeple in 1753 Its sound carried across what was then the largest city in British North America, tolling for legislative debates over imperial laws and for news such as the accession of King George III.

The bell developed cracks during its working life, starting with damage soon after its arrival from London and culminating in the fracture that silenced it in the nineteenth century.cracked on arrival and twice recast Local founders recast the original metal into the version known today, and the long crack visible on the side dates from an unsuccessful ringing in 1846 on a day marking George Washington’s birthday.irreparable crack in 1846 The present bell no longer rings; instead visitors see the fracture and the distinctive wide lip, while the idea of its sound continues in smaller commemorative bells linked to Independence National Historical Park.later commemorative bells

From State House bell to national symbol

In the eighteenth century the bell was known simply as the State House bell, and it rang for civic occasions such as the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, when a colonel announced the document to the gathered crowd in Philadelphia.summoning citizens on 8 July 1776 The association of the bell with liberty developed later, when nineteenth?century abolitionists used its biblical inscription and image in printed campaigns against slavery and began to call it Liberty Bell.abolitionist use in the 1830s

Over the nineteenth century Liberty Bell travelled to different exhibitions across the United States and appeared in patriotic displays, strengthening its role as a symbol of national identity and civic freedoms.travels between 1885 and 1915 In the twentieth century it came under the care of Independence National Historical Park, part of the National Park Service, and has been presented alongside Independence Hall and other sites connected with the founding period of the United States.Independence National Historical Park The bell now stands in the Liberty Bell Center on Independence Mall, where visitors see it against the backdrop of the former State House that once housed it.Liberty Bell Center on Independence Mall

Visiting Liberty Bell: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Liberty Bell stands in the Liberty Bell Center on Independence Mall in central Philadelphia, opposite Independence Hall and near the Independence Visitor Center.
• The bell is displayed indoors behind barriers, with an approach that involves standing in line, walking through exhibition spaces and viewing the bell from a designated area.
• The site lies within Independence National Historical Park in Pennsylvania, United States, where the official language is English and the currency is the US dollar.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Liberty Bell

Where is Liberty Bell in Philadelphia?

Liberty Bell is displayed in the Liberty Bell Center on Independence Mall, opposite Independence Hall within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

What can visitors expect when seeing Liberty Bell?

Visitors walk through an indoor exhibition, see historical panels and images, and view the cracked bronze bell behind barriers with Independence Hall visible through large windows.

What makes Liberty Bell distinctive among historic bells?

Liberty Bell is distinguished by its Leviticus inscription, its long crack that prevents it from ringing and its association with abolitionist campaigns and United States independence.