The Liberty Bell is one of the most iconic symbols of American independence and liberty. This famous bell is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has been a revered object since the time of the American Revolution. Despite its fame, many people do not know the details of the bell’s history and how many times it has actually cracked over the years. In this in-depth article, we will explore the different cracks and damage the Liberty Bell has sustained throughout its lifetime.
The Origins of the Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell was originally commissioned to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the Charter of Privileges granted by William Penn to the colony of Pennsylvania. This charter, granted in 1701, laid out many rights and freedoms for the colonists including religious freedom and the right to be governed by their elected representatives. The Charter of Privileges was an important milestone for colonial America.
To honor the 50th anniversary of this charter, the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly ordered a new bell to hang in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in 1751. The bell was ordered from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, which was famous for casting the bells for Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Whitechapel Foundry cast the bell in London and shipped it to Philadelphia later that year.
The Original Inscription
The newly arrived bell originally bore the inscription:
“Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” (Leviticus 25:10)
This Biblical inscription reflected the Quaker founders’ vision of upholding religious and civil liberties in the new colony. The bell was hung in the State House tower and first rang in 1753, summoning legislators to meetings and indicating the time of day to Philadelphians.
The First Crack – 1753
Almost immediately after being put into service, the new bell developed a hairline crack while being tested. The bell’s founders recast the bell, strengthening the structure by adding copper into the casting material. After being recast in 1753, the bell was rehung in the State House tower and rang without incident for many years.
Naming the “Liberty Bell”
Although it is universally known as the Liberty Bell today, that name became popularized over time. Throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the bell was colloquially known as the “State House Bell.” In the 1830s, the bell acquired the crack that is still visible today (more on that later). After this major crack, the bell could no longer function as a ringing bell.
It was likely around this time that the bell became increasingly associated with the burgeoning abolitionist movement in Philadelphia. In 1839, the publication Liberty prominently featured the bell in an antislavery publication. This helped to further cement the connection between the bell and the concept of liberty.
The Most Famous Crack – 1835
The Liberty Bell sustained its most famous and recognizable crack on February 23, 1835 on George Washington’s birthday. The bell was rung during a holiday celebration and propaganda event organized by Philadelphia’s civic leaders. The massive crack split the bell and rendered it unable to ring ever again. Despite the damage, the bell was adopted as a powerful symbol of liberty by the growing abolitionist movement in the decades leading up to the Civil War.
Here is a timeline of how the famous crack happened:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| February 21, 1835 | The Liberty Bell rang perfectly when tested ahead of Washington’s birthday. |
| February 22, 1835 | The Liberty Bell was rung all day without incident. |
| February 23, 1835 | As the bell rang at around noon on Washington’s birthday, the crack suddenly formed, propagating from the crown down. |
The chief cause of the crack was likely metal fatigue caused by nearly a century of periodic ringing. The precise reason why the crack formed so suddenly that day remains unknown.
Repairs and Further Damage
After the Liberty Bell cracked in 1835, the City of Philadelphia undertook various efforts to restore the bell so it could ring again. In 1837, a set of repair measures were implemented:
- The edges of the crack were drilled to prevent further spreading.
- Screws were inserted along the length of the crack to hold the two sides together.
- The crack was sealed with an amalgam to make the surface appear uniform again.
Despite these repair efforts, the bell could only produce a muffled partial ring and quickly cracked again. Further efforts to restore the bell did not succeed and the idea was abandoned.
In the 1840s, a new crack developed on the lower section of the bell. Likely caused by continued ringing attempts, this second major crack rendered the bell unsuitable even for limited ringing. Other small cracks and fractures have appeared over the centuries, but most are less visible.
Public Viewing of the Damaged Bell
With the Liberty Bell now irreparably damaged in the 1840s, the City of Philadelphia made the decision to embrace the cracked bell as a relic and begin publicly exhibiting it:
| Year | Public Display Event |
|---|---|
| 1845 | The bell put on exhibit for New Year’s Day. |
| 1847 | The bell displayed in a hall at Independence Hall. |
| 1885 | The bell featured at the New Orleans World’s Fair. |
| 1915 | The bell displayed at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. |
| 1976-77 | To celebrate the bicentennial, the bell toured the country aboard a train for over a year. |
Today the Liberty Bell remains on permanent display within the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia, where visitors from around the world come to see this iconic treasure.
The Symbolic Importance of the Damaged Bell
The very damage sustained over decades of ringing added to the Liberty Bell’s mystique. The large riveting crack came to symbolize the idea of imperfect freedom and the constant struggle required to maintain liberty. This powerful symbolism drew abolitionists and other reformers to adopt the bell as an icon of their movements during the 1800s.
Like America itself, the Liberty Bell represents high ideals along with imperfection and ongoing progress. The bell remains an instantly recognizable symbol of liberty today despite its damaged condition. In many ways, the cracks enhance the Liberty Bell’s symbolic value rather than detract from it.
How Many Times Has It Cracked?
If we summarize the key cracking events, we can identify approximately four distinct major cracks that occurred between 1753 and 1846:
| Crack | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| First crack | 1753 | Hairline fracture during initial testing after casting in London. |
| Most famous crack | 1835 | Large extending crack that rendered bell unringable. Occurred on Washington’s birthday. |
| Second major crack | 1840s | Additional large crack likely caused by continued ringing attempts. |
| Other minor cracks | 1753-present | Smaller cracks and fractures have emerged over the centuries. |
Beyond these four significant cracking events, the bell has sustained other minor dents, cracks, and deteriorations expected after 250 years of existence. But the four major cracks represent the defining physical damage that has shaped the Liberty Bell’s role as an historic relic today.
Conclusion
The Liberty Bell’s cracks and damage tell a unique history intertwined with the birth of America. What started as a commissioned bell in 1751 became a powerful and complex symbol of liberty by the 1800s. The bell’s physical imperfections paralleled the contradictions and complexities inherent in American history. Today, more than 70 million visitors have viewed the Liberty Bell to connect with this storied object and its iconic cracks.