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Liberty Bell Facts

Liberty Bell Facts
The original Liberty Bell was cast in 1752, in London, England. It was hung in the Pennsylvania State House, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, which was later renamed Independence Hall. It cracked the first time it was rung and was then recast by local artisans, twice for the same reason. Some believe that in 1846 it was rung to celebrate George Washington's birthday, cracking once again and it has never been rung since.
Interesting Liberty Bell Facts:
The bell is a symbol of America's independence.
The original cast was made in London, England, in 1752, by the company Lester and pack. Today the company is known as Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
The original cast contained the following words from Leviticus 25:10 "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."
The first bell cracked when it first rang.
It was recast by John Pass and John Stow twice. Their last names are both on the bell.
The original use of the bell was to summon the lawmakers to their legislative sessions. It was also used to alert the people to public proclamations and meetings.
Although there is no documented proof, it is believed that the Liberty Bell was rung on July 8, 1776, to mark the reading of the Declaration of Independence.
It was dubbed the Liberty Bell in the 1830s by anti-slavery supporters and publications.
The City of Philadelphia owns the Liberty Bell.
The Liberty Bell was well traveled. Starting in 1885, the City of Philadelphia began allowing the bell to be on display at a variety of patriotic events and expositions.
On these trips it cracked even more and some souvenir hunters even took chips of the bell home with them. In 1915 the Liberty Bell was no longer available for such events.
After the end of World War II, the National Park Service was given custody of the Liberty Bell. However the City of Philadelphia still owns the bell.
In the 1960s the Liberty Bell was a popular site for protestors to gather. It was also popular in the Cold War as a symbol of freedom.
In 1976, the Liberty Bell was moved to Independence Mall into a glass pavilion.
In 2003 it was moved to the Liberty Bell Center next to the pavilion.
The image of Liberty Bell has been used on stamps and coins, and it has also been popular with many corporations.
The strike note the Liberty Bell makes is E flat.
Beginning in 1960, companies have analyzed drillings that were taken from the bell by the Franklin Institute.
The Liberty Bell is 25% tin, 70 % copper, and it also has small amounts of gold, silver, arsenic, zinc and lead.
The main crack is 24.5 inches long and .5 of an inch wide. There are also many small hairline cracks as well.
The Liberty Bell weighs approximately 2080 pounds.
The Liberty Bell is 12 feet in circumference (of the lip) and 3 feet tall.
The Liberty Bell still hangs from its original yoke. The yoke was made from slippery elm, which is also known as American elm.


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