Popular Legend Claims The Liberty Bell Cracked In 1835 During The Funeral Of The Chief Justice Of The United States, But Exactly How The Famous Fracture Occurred Remains A Mystery
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.
foto-select – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
They did not want the bell to be stolen and melted down for munitions. It was raised again in 1785.
It wasn’t until the 1830s that the bell took on its familiar nickname. An abolitionist group called the New York Anti-Slavery Society published a pamphlet pointing out that the bell was never rung for African Americans. It was referred to as the “Liberty Bell.” Afterward, the name caught on.
According to one story, the Liberty Bell first cracked back in 1824 when Marquis de Lafayette, the last surviving Revolutionary War general, paid it a visit. It also could’ve cracked later that same year while tolling to warn of a fire.
One of the most popular legends claims that the bell was damaged in 1835 when it was rung during the funeral of John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the United States. But no newspaper accounts mentioned such an incident.
However it happened, the bell was clearly damaged by 1846 when the mayor of Philadelphia requested that it be rung on George Washington’s birthday.
Before the occasion, attempts were made to repair the fracture. Unfortunately, this ended up widening the crack, which is now 21 inches long and about an inch wide.
The bell stopped working and had to be taken out of service. In 1976, it was moved to a pavilion near Independence Hall.
Then, in 2003, it was relocated to Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historic Park. Each year, millions of visitors go to view its iconic crack.
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