Why Is The Liberty Bell Famous?

Though it is no longer used as a signal bell and a call to action, the Liberty Bell stands as a reminder of the goals that the founders of the United States established more than 200 years ago. The bell is reported to have sounded in July 1776 in Philadelphia, calling people to the public reading of the Declaration of Independence. But other reports show that the steeple of the church was in poor condition and the bell probably did not ring in 1776.

The bell was commissioned in 1751 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Charter of Privileges written by William Penn. This document set out many of the freedoms that were included in the founding documents of the United States. This place in U.S. history makes the bell both famous and important to millions of people. History records that the bell was adopted as a symbol by abolitionists, giving the bell even more significance.

Many writers and speakers have, through the years, applied the word “icon” to the Liberty Bell. Much of this status was achieved when the abolitionists used the bell as their symbol in the fight against slavery.

A graphic depicting the bell was used in the abolitionist publications. Historical documents show that this use actually gave it the name “Liberty.” Prior to that time it was known as the Statehouse Bell.

A defect in the bell is also responsible for some of its fame. There is some difference of opinion on the origin of the crack and the reason for that crack. Smaller “hair line” cracks were not enough to retire the bell. But users of the bell declared it unfit in 1846 when the largest crack expanded. Newspapers of the time bemoaned its deficiency, noting that before the large crack appeared the bell rang loudly and beautifully.

A great deal of honor is paid to this one bell because later U.S. populations turned to it as a symbol. After the divisive Civil War, many people in the U.S. wanted something to pull the nation together again. Thus, the Liberty Bell was transported to various places across the country as part of a liberty and unity celebration.

The bell is famous enough to have been copied. Replicas were used for various other social movements and rights movements, including the fight for the women’s vote. It is also associated with the task of calling the local Assembly together, so it was used quite a bit as a “working” bell. The Liberty Bell rang on many historic occasions in addition to its everyday use. But it probably did not sound on July 8, 1776 to call people to the first reading of the Declaration of Independence.

The bell was hidden from the British during the Revolutionary War, to prevent it from being taken and melted down. The British did use some bells by melting them and making ammunition and cannons. It is now on display in a special site constructed for it.

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