The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell was originally cast in London, England by the Whitechapel Foundry in 1752. It arrived in Philadelphia in August of that year, and cracked during its very first test ringing. It was then melted-down to make a second bell.


Pass & Stow recast the bell in Philadelphia in April 1753. The second bell sounded really bad. It's poor tone was believed to be from the use of too much copper. It was melted-down yet again to make the third and final bell in June 1753.

The cost of the original Liberty Bell was $225.50 in 1752 dollars. This amount was equivalent to Sterling 150, 13 shillings and 8 pence. I bet you didn't know that...


The Liberty Bell was chimed on July 8, 1776. At that time, the bell hung from the tower of Independence Hall then known as the Pennsylvania State House. It was rung to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to the public hearing of the "Declaration of Independence".

A Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence. I can only imagine the thrill the crowd felt when they heard the now famous words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Assembly Hall in the Pennsylvania State House where Declaration of Independence was signed. Photo by Dan Smith.

For its first 75 years the 2080 pound bell was simply known as the "State House Bell". Then, in 1828, it was replaced by the 4000 pound Wilbank bell.

The inscription on the Liberty Bell reads:

Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof Lev. XXV.V X.

By order of the ASSEMBLY of the Province of PENSYLVANIA for the State House in Philadª

Pass and Stow
Philadª
MDCCLIII

The Liberty Bell rang with an E-flat tone and is composed of 70% copper, 25% tin, and small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver.

It is about 12 feet around and 3 feet tall. The clapper alone weighs 44-1/2 pounds.


Karla and James happy to be at the bell after a run through a teeming downpour.

The "crack" is the Liberty Bell's greatest misconception. That is, it is not a crack at all. Its a machined slot approximately 1/2 inch wide and 24.5 inches long. The actual crack was a hairline fracture and could not be seen except by very close inspection. Two rivets were inserted in this slot to control the vibration of the two sides and temporarily restored the bell's tonal quality.

This repair work was completed in time for George Washington's birthday on February 22, 1846 when, "It gave out clear notes and loud... until noon, when it received a sort of compound facture in a zig-zag direction through one of its sides, which put it completely out of tune..." Thus, around noon of February 22, 1846 its last loud and clear note was heard.

Alice Kay, Karla and James arrived safely in Abilene, Texas late last night.