Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell was designed as the bell for the Pennsylvania State House in 1751. The first bell arrived in Philadelphia in 1752 and cracked upon its first test ringing. A second bell was cast but its tone was found to be unsatisfactory. A third bell was cast, hung in the Pennsylvania State House (now Liberty Hall) in 1753. It was rung for many events, including the coronation of King George III in 1760.[1] Among its most famous ringings was on July 8 1776 to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.[2]
This bell was made in England and weighed over 2000 pounds and it's composition is 70% copper, 25% tin, and small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold, and silver. [3] It was rung on every anniversary of Independance day (4th of July) until the time it cracked when rung on July 8, 1835 at the funeral of U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall.
Inscribed on the Liberty Bell is a verse from the Old Testament: [4]
- "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." (Leviticus 25:10)
References
- ↑ http://www.nps.gov/history/nR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/36liberty/36setting.htm
- ↑ http://www.nps.gov/archive/inde/liberty-bell.html
- ↑ http://www.nps.gov/archive/inde/liberty-bell.html
- ↑ Leviticus 25:10
