The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

There has been no more popular and ubiquitous symbol of freedom in the history of the United States than the infamous Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Its purpose as a representation of freedom has also been used internationally and has even changed meaning over the course of hundreds of years. Whenever you visit Philadelphia, keep in mind that it’s absolutely FREE to visit the Liberty Bell. It’s a really popular attraction, though, so I recommend being one of the first people to get there — especially if you have young, impatient, children!

The Bell

At the beginning of its life, the Liberty Bell actually had a functional use. During this point in its life, it wasn’t yet a symbol of freedom. It sat in the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) and would ring in order to summon people of the town and lawmakers to hear the news. It was first ordered from London in 1751. Upon ‘testing it out’ it actually cracked really badly. It was then melted down to make a new bell to use.

The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia bares an inscription taken from the bible. It reads, “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof”. It’s ironic that this particular verse in the bible is speaking on freeing slaves. Yet, the founding fathers chose to use it to represent religious freedom.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that Abolitionists (those against slavery) used the bell. Together with its inscription, it became a motto and symbol for ending slavery. Many movements thereafter including the Civil Rights and Women’s Suffrage used the same thing. So the bell and its inscription were used in a symbolic manner for their respective causes.

The Crack

People known not only the Liberty Bell but also its infamous giant crack, which essentially renders it useless for ringing. The reason for it first cracking isn’t recorded, so there is no sure-fire explanation. However, the wide crack is might be the result of trying to repair a much thinner crack in the mid 1800’s using a technique called, “stop drilling.”

Today, you can learn all about the symbolic and functional importance of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia at the visitor’s center. The site is technically open until 5:00PM. The last showing is at 4:45 — so make sure you get there way beforehand.

The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia