July 8th, 1776 In Philadelphia:
The United States Liberty Bell first rings out from the tower of the Pennsylvania State House, also known as Independence Hall, summoning citizens and listeners to the first ever public reading of the Declaration of Independence, then read by Colonel John Nixon in 1776.
The Liberty Bell
There may be no singular icon in American history that portrays with both imagery and sound the call to Liberty as America’s Liberty Bell!
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence Hall), the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack (today theWhitechapel Bell Foundry) in 1752, and was cast with the lettering (part of Leviticus 25:10)
“Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
It originally cracked when first rung after arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. In its early years, the Liberty Bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens to public meetings and proclamations.
Country | United States |
---|---|
State | Pennsylvania |
City | Philadelphia |
Location | Liberty Bell Center |
– elevation | 30 ft (9 m) |
– coordinates | 39°56′58.15″N 75°9′1.06″W |
Circumference | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
Weight | 2,080 lb (900 kg) |
Caster | Whitechapel Bell Foundry |
Materials | Copper, Tin |
Cast | 1752 (Recast 1753 by Pass and Stow) |
Owner | City of Philadelphia |
Soruce: nps.gov/inde/liberty-bell-center.htm Liberty Bell Center |
What Words Are Engraved on the Liberty Bell?
The first is a Bible verse taken from the book of Leviticus 25:10 and it reads, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants thereof.” This first inscription was appropriately engraved into the Liberty Bell because in the biblical verse directing preceding verse 10, the Bible references “the fiftieth year.” Coincidence? Probably not.
The second inscription that is on the Liberty Bell are the words “By order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philada.” Yes this is the exact spelling that is used on the Liberty Bell and no it is not a typo. It has been said that in the Constitution the state of Pennsylvania the state’s name was spelled like so “Pensylvania.”
The final inscription are three words centered on the front of the bell, and they are:
“Pass and Stow/MDCCLIII.” (source: Your Dictionary Quotes)
Get Your Liberty On!
Do you know and understand what the Liberty Cap is?
Do you know what it represents?
Find out more about the “Liberty Cap“!
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Liberty Bell Videos!