Emily Chan
One of the greatest symbols of American democracy is the Liberty Bell. The historic bell is known for its crack, but historians disagree on how and when it was damaged.
So, why is the Liberty Bell so symbolic, and what are the stories behind the famed fracture?
The bell was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. It paid around 100 pounds for the large bell to be hung on the steeple of the new Pennsylvania State House.
It arrived in Philadelphia in 1752 after being cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London. However, the bell cracked during a test strike because the metal was too brittle. It had to be recast twice.
The final result was a bell made of 70 percent copper, 25 percent tin, and trace amounts of lead, arsenic, zinc, silver, and gold.
It measured three feet tall and 12 feet in circumference around the bottom lip. It tipped the scales at around 2,080 pounds.
Once the bell was installed, it was rung to inform citizens of urgent news, summon lawmakers to the State House, and as part of funeral ceremonies.
On July 8, 1776, it was rung to celebrate the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
In 1777, the British army was on the verge of invading Philadelphia, so locals removed the bell and hid it under the floorboards of a church until it was safe to return to the State House.
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