Freedom Rings at The Historic Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

The Liberty Bell was originally cast in 1751 by the Whitechapel Foundry in London to be used to call lawmakers to order. When that bell cracked on its first test ring, it was melted down and cast anew by Philadelphia metalworkers John Pass and John Stow. How it got its famous crack of today is not clear. Some stories hold that it was cracked during the visit of Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette. Another story states that is was fractured later that year, while ringing to signal a fire. Probably the most popular legend is that the bell cracked during the funeral of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835.

While the bell does not physically ring today, the message of liberty and freedom still rings true. Even though for many years the bell was struck with a mallet to recreate the tolling sound, the actual clapper has been immobilized since 1915. To preserve the Liberty Bell, it is no longer struck with a mallet or anything else.