The Liberty Bell is a treasured relic of the early days of American independence.  It was rung July 8, 1776, with other church bells, to announce the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

The Liberty Bell weighs over 2,080 pounds.  The province of Pennsylvania paid about $300 for it in 1752.

The Liberty Bell was first cast in England.  It broke in ringing after its arrival and was recast in Philadelphia from the same metal, with the same inscription, in 1753.  The Liberty Bell rang at each successive anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration until 1835.  The bell broke on July 8 that year, while being rung during the funeral of John Marshall, chief justice of the United States.

The Antislavery movement adopted this bell, in 1839, as a symbol of freedom.  The activists referred to it as the "Liberty Bell" in their literature.  Previously, the bell had been called the Old State House Bell, the Bell of the Revolution, or Old Independence.  Americans, inspired by the bell, also began to use the phrase "Let Freedom Ring."

The bell is on display in Independence Square in Philadelphia for all to see.  Inscribed on the bell are the famous words "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." (From the Bible, Leviticus 25:10)

The Liberty Bell is no longer rung, but it has been struck on special occasions.  On June 6, 1944, when Allied forces landed in France, Philadelphia officials struck the bell.  Sound equipment broadcast the tone to all parts of the nation.  But even though it has stopped ringing, the bell is still a symbol of American Independence and Liberty.

Through the centuries, the Liberty Bell has guarded three types of freedom: religious freedom for the colonists of Pennsylvania, independence for American colonists, and freedom for American slaves.

Photo taken by yours truly

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