The Liberty Bell

American history · iconic symbol · Philadelphia

A bell from the 1700s. The Liberty Bell was cast in 1752 in England and hung in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, where important American leaders met to declare independence from Britain.

It has a giant crack. Nobody knows exactly when the crack appeared, but by the 1800s it was so big that the bell couldn't ring properly anymore. Despite the damage, people loved it even more because it reminded them of broken chains and freedom.

Renamed by freedom fighters. Abolitionists, who fought to end slavery in America, started calling it the Liberty Bell because it matched their message of freedom for all people. The name stuck and became official.

Moved across the street. The bell used to hang in the old State House building, but now it sits in its own special Liberty Bell Center right next to Independence Hall, where thousands of visitors come to see it every year.