The Liberty Bell

Illustration: The Liberty Bell, located in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania.

 On July 8, 1776, a pealing bell in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State house announced the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Today, that iron bell is known as the Liberty Bell, and it is a treasured symbol of the nations devotion to freedom.

The Liberty Bell was made in England and shipped to Philadelphia in 1752. Inscribed on the bell were these words: "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." But the first time the bell was tested it cracked. It was recast and hung in the State House, which was renamed Independence Hall after the Declaration of Independence was signed there. During the revolution, the bell was hidden under the floor of a church in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to keep it safe. After the war, it was rehung in Independence Hall and rung on important occasions. In 1835, while tollinf for the funeral of Chief Justice John Marshall, the bell cracked a second time. It was repaired once more, but in 1846, it cracked again as it rang in honor of George Washington's birthday. This time the bell could not be repaired.

Today, the Liberty Bell is enshrined in a special pavilion in Independence Historic Park in Philadelphia, just across form it's original home.

DID YOU KNOW....The Liberty Bell weight more than 2,080 pounds and has a circumference of 12 feet at its widest point. It is about 3 feet high.

If you would like to know more about the Liberty Bell, visit this great website.

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