Liberty Bell ....

.... Tolls to Announce Declaration of Independence.

"On this day (July 8) in 1776 a 2,000-pound copper-&-tin bell, now known as the 'Liberty Bell,' rang out from the tower of the PA State House (now called Independence Hall in Philadelphia PA), summoning citizens to the 1st public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

"Four days earlier, the historic document had been adopted by delegates to the Continental Congress, but the bell didn't ring to announce the issuing of the document until the Declaration of Independence returned from the printer on July 8.

"In 1751, to commemorate the 50-yr. anniversary of PA's original constitution, the PA Provincial Assembly ordered the bell to be constructed. After being cracked during a test, & then recast twice, the bell was hung from the State House steeple in June, 1753.

"Rung to call the PA Assembly together & to summon people for special announcements & events, it was also rung on important occasions, such as King George's 1761 ascension to the British throne &, in 1765, to call the people together to discuss Parliament's controversial Stamp Act.

"With the outbreak of the American Revolution in April, 1775, the bell was rung to announce the battles of Lexington & Concord. Its most famous tolling, however, was on July 8, 1776,from when it summoned Philadelphia citizens for the 1st reading of the Declaration of Independence.

"As the British advanced toward Philadelphia in the fall of 1777, the bell was removed from the city & hidden in Allentown PA [some 70 mi. N of Philadelphia] to save it from being melted down by the British & and used to make cannons.

"After the British defeat in 1781, the bell was returned to Philadelphia, which served as the nation's capital from 1790-1800.

"In addition to marking important events, the bell tolled annually to celebrate George Washington's birthday on February 22 & Independence Day on July 4. The name 'Liberty Bell' was 1st coined in an 1839 poem in an abolitionist pamphlet.

"The question of when the Liberty Bell acquired its famous fracture has been the subject of a good deal of historical debate. In the most commonly accepted account, the bell suffered a major break while tolling for the funeral of the Chief Justice of the US, John Marshall, in 1835, & in 1846 the crack expanded to its present size while in use to mark Washington's birthday.

"After that date, it was regarded as unsuitable for ringing, but it was still ceremoniously tapped on occasion to commemorate important events. On June 6, 1944, when Allied forces invaded France, the sound of the bell's dulled ring was broadcast by radio across the US.

"In 1976, the Liberty Bell was moved to a new pavilion about 100 yds. from Independence Hall in preparation for America's bicentennial celebrations. It remains there today & is visited by more than 1 million people each year."

SOURCE: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-...tolls-to-announce-declaration-of-independence