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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

The Liberty Bell:

From Obscurity to Icon

(Harpers Ferry Center Commissioned Art Collection, National Park Service)

Residents of Philadelphia in 1776 would not have been able to direct a visitor to the "Liberty 

Bell." It was there--ringing out from the tower of the Pennsylvania State House--but it had yet 

to be transformed into an international symbol of liberty. By the time the grandchildren of those 

early Philadelphians were grandparents themselves, however, they could easily have directed 

a visitor to the site of the famous Liberty Bell. It was still housed at the old State House, but by 

then the building had been renamed Independence Hall.

Shaped by national and world events, the power of the 2,000-pound Liberty Bell’s message 

grows in strength: a wreath is laid beneath the bell to commemorate the Thirteenth 

Amendment, which made slavery illegal in the United States; a crowd gathers outside the 

Liberty Bell Pavilion for a candlelight vigil to exercise their First Amendment right to disagree 

with their government; and tourists from all over the world come to see this international 

symbol of freedom.
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Document Contents

National Curriculum Standards

About This Lesson

Getting Started: Inquiry Question 

Setting the Stage: Historical Context

Locating the Site: Maps

1. Map 1: Philadelphia & the surrounding area, 1777

2. Map 2: Philadelphia

3. Map 3: Independence Hall & Liberty Bell Pavilion

Determining the Facts: Readings

1. Reading 1: The Growth of a Symbol

2. Reading 2: The Crack in Liberty Bell

3. Reading 3: Going on Tour

4. Reading 4: Timetable of party of the Liberty Bell’s trip home

Visual Evidence: Images

1. Gen. John J. Pershing at the Liberty Bell, 1919

2. Liberty Bell in Scranton, PA, 1915

3. Liberty Bell on tour for the Louisiana Exposition, 1904

4. Liberty Bell passing through Connecticut, 1903

5. Liberty Bell Pavilion, 1955

6. The Child’s History of the United States, 1878

Putting It All Together: Activities

1. Activity 1: Why Is the Crack in the Liberty Bell So Important?

2. Activity 2: What Do Symbols Tell Us about Ourselves?

3. Activity 3: Symbols in the Local Community
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References and Endnotes

Additional Resources
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Where this lesson fits into the curriculum

Time Period: Late 18th century, 19th century, early 20th century

Topics: The lesson could be used in units on 18th- and 19th-century American history and in 

civics and government courses. Students will practice their skills of evaluating the accuracy of 

historical sources, and of observation, analysis, and interpretation related to history, 

geography, and the social sciences.

Relevant United States History Standards for Grades 5-12

This lesson relates to the following National Standards for History from the UCLA National 

Center for History in the Schools:

US History Era 4

• Standard 3A: The student understands the changing character of American political life 

in "the age of the common man."

• Standard 4B: The student understands how Americans strived to reform society and 

create a distinct culture.

US History Era 6

• Standard 2C: The student understands how new cultural movements at different social 

levels affected American life.

US History Era 7

• Standard 1B: The student understands Progressivism at the national level.

US History Era 9

• Standard 4A: The student understands the "Second Reconstruction" and its 

advancement of civil rights.

Relevant Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

This lesson relates to the following Curriculum Standards for Social Studies from the National 

Council for the Social Studies:

Theme I: Culture

• Standard C: The student explains and gives examples of how language, 

literature, the arts, architecture, other artifacts, traditions, beliefs, values, and 

behaviors contribute to the development and transmission of culture.
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Theme II: Time, Continuity and Change

• Standard D: The student identifies and uses processes important to 

reconstructing and reinterpreting the past, such as using a variety of sources, 

providing, validating, and weighing evidence for claims, checking credibility of 

sources, and searching for causality

Theme III: People, Places, and Environment

• Standard A: The student elaborates mental maps of locales, regions, and the 

world that demonstrate understanding of relative location, direction, size, and 

shape.

• Standard G: The Students describe how people create places that reflect cultural 

values and ideals as they build neighborhoods, parks, shopping centers, and the 

like.

Theme IV: Individual Development and Identity

• Standard B: The student describes personal connections to place - as associated 

with community, nation, and world.

Theme X: Civic Ideals, and Practices

• Standard A: The student examines the origins and continuing influence of key 

ideals of the democratic republican form of government, such as individual 

human dignity, liberty, justice, equality, and the rule of law.

• Standard J: The student examines strategies designed to strengthen the 

"common good," which consider a range of options for citizen action.

Relevant Common Core Standards

This lesson relates to the Common Core English and Language Arts Standards for 

History and Social Studies for middle and high school students:

Key Ideas and Details

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.1

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.2

Craft and Structure

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.4

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.5

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.6

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.7

• CSSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.8

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

• CSSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-12.10
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About This Lesson

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, 

"Independence National Historical Park" 

[https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/66000683.pdf] (with photographs

https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Photos/66000683.pdf), and other sources about 

the Liberty Bell. It was written by Joanne C. Blacoe, Park Ranger at Independence National 

Historical Park. TwHP is sponsored, in part, by the Cultural Resources Training Initiative and 

Parks as Classrooms programs of the National Park Service. This lesson is one in a series that 

brings the important stories of historic places into the classrooms across the country.

Objectives

1. To analyze the historical and cultural influences that shaped the symbolic meaning of the 

Liberty Bell; 

2. To critically evaluate the reliability of particular sources as a way of determining historical 

accuracy; 

3. To determine from the historical record how popular ideas about the past are shaped and 

changed by current events; 

4. To research the way patriotic symbols are used in their own communities as well as the 

nation. 

Materials for students

The materials listed below can either be used directly on the computer or can be printed 

out, photocopied, and distributed to students.

1. Three maps showing the Philadelphia area as it appeared in 1777 and today; 

2. Three readings compiled from documents contemporary to several different time periods;

3. One timetable from the Liberty Bell's travels;

4. Six photographs of the Liberty Bell, both modern and historical.

Visiting the site

The Liberty Bell is part of the Independence National Historical Park, administered by the 

National Park Service. It is located on Market Street between Fifth and Sixth streets in 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and may be viewed at any time, day or night, year round. For 

more information, contact the Superintendent, Independence National Historical Park, 313 

Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 or visit the park's web pages. 
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Getting Started

What famous U.S. symbol is used on this 

history text book? Why do you think it was 

chosen?
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Photo Analysis Worksheet

Step 1:

Examine the photograph for 10 seconds. How would you describe the photograph? 

Step 2:

Divide the photograph into quadrants and study each section individually. What details--such as 

people, objects, activities--do you notice? 

Step 3:

What other information--such as time period, location, season, reason photo was taken--can 

you gather from the photo?

Step 4:

How would you revise your first description of the photo using the information noted in Steps 2 

and 3? 

Step 5:

What questions do you have about the photograph? How might you find answers to these 

questions?
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Setting the Stage

In the 18th century, citizens across the colonies depended on bells to communicate important news. 

Bells might call them to put out fires, notify them of an approaching merchant ship, warn them about a 

possible attack by Indians or enemy soldiers, or tell them to gather to hear news important to the 

community. From the start, the bell that would become known as the Liberty Bell rang out for larger, 

more national purposes. Originally, it was commissioned for the Pennsylvania State House, which was 

built between 1732 and 1756. It knelled to mark the death of monarchs and pealed for the coronation of 

George III. It was muffled to toll the Stamp Act and was rung joyously when that act was repealed. It 

was probably rung on July 8, 1776, to gather Philadelphians to hear the first public reading of the 

Declaration of Independence.

Some basic information about the Liberty Bell is found on the bell itself. On the waist is the inscription 

"PASS AND STOW"—the last names of the founders who cast the bell. Under the founders’ names are 

the letters "PHILADA" (an abbreviation for Philadelphia) and the numbers "MDCCLIII" (1753), the year 

the bell was made. The inscription encircling the top of the bell reads: "BY ORDER OF THE 

ASSEMBLY OF THE PROVINCE OF PENSYLVANIA [sic] FOR THE STATE HOUSE IN PHILADA." It 

is often incorrectly noted that there is a misspelling on the Liberty Bell. In the 18th century, spelling was 

not standardized and it was acceptable to spell Pennsylvania with one "n," or in a number of other 

ways. The copy of the letter written by the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly specifying the bell’s 

inscription spells Pennsylvania with only one "n."

The top line of the inscription is a verse from the Bible, Leviticus chapter 25, verse 10: "PROCLAIM 

LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF LEV. XXV X," 

and it was this inscription that fostered the transformation of the old State House bell into the Liberty 

Bell.

First called the "Liberty Bell" by abolitionist publications in the 1830s, the bell thereafter was adopted as 

a symbol to promote a wide variety of causes, from women’s rights to civil rights, to protests against 

political oppression.
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Locating the Site

Map 1: A Plan of the city and environs of Philadelphia, 1777
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Locating the Site

Map 2: Philadelphia
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Questions for Maps 1 & 2

1) Using Gloucester City, New Jersey as a point of reference on both maps, compare the size of 

Philadelphia today with the size of the city in the 18th century.

2) In 1777 citizens throughout the city could hear the State House bell announce meetings and 

important events. Do you think a bell could serve as a communication device in Philadelphia today?
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Locating the Site

Map 3: Independence Hall at the Liberty Bell Pavilion

(Based on National Park Service map)

Since 1976 the Liberty Bell has been exhibited in a glass pavilion where it can be viewed by the public 

24 hours a day.
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Map 3: Independence Hall at the Liberty Bell Pavilion

1) Note the location of Independence Hall (the renamed Pennsylvania State House) and the Liberty Bell 

Pavilion. What separates the two sites today?

2) Why do you think the bell was moved from Independence Hall to its present location? What are the 

advantages of having the Liberty Bell placed in a glass pavilion? What are the disadvantages?

3) Do you think the bell is more effective as a symbol in its present location, or when it was inside 

Independence Hall? What event occurred in 1976 that prompted the relocation of the bell?
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Determining the Facts

Reading 1: The Growth of a Symbol

The following quotations demonstrate the symbolic importance of the Liberty Bell.

James Silk Buckingham visited Philadelphia around 1840 when the bell’s reputation as a relic of the 

American Revolution was beginning to grow.

This bell [the Liberty Bell] though no longer used for general purposes, still occupied the 

place in which it was originally hung, and, like the great bell of St. Paul’s in London, used 

on special occasions such as the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and 

visits of distinguished visitors such as Lafayette...it will no doubt be preserved as a national 

treasure.

--James Silk Buckingham, American Historical, Statistic and Descriptive, London, 1841

Preparation for the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence led to a resurgence of 

interest in the American Revolution and in the Liberty Bell.

This is true, there appears to have been no first jubilee to all the inhabitants on our fiftieth 

anniversary--too many millions of our inhabitants were then in slavery--we then could not 

fully carry out the text and proclaim liberty to all. But now upon the second fiftieth year we 

are able to do so. Cracked and shattered as the bell may be, the base upon which that 

motto is cast remains firm and solid, and shaken has our country been with the din of 

battle and bloody strife, that principle remains pure and perfect for all time to come and 

the whole text, Liberty Jubilee, will be literally carried out in 1876. ‘Liberty can now be 

proclaimed throu [sic] all the land to all inhabitants thereof.’

--John Shoemaker, Chairman of the Philadelphia Centennial Committee, in "The 

Centennial," Philadelphia, 1873

In the early 20th century there was a debate about the advantages and potential problems of allowing 

the Liberty Bell to travel the country by rail.

The Liberty Bell is undoubtedly of most interest--for those that can see it there at home in 

Philadelphia, where it made its never to be forgotten announcement that a new nation had 

been born....But even in Philadelphia, the bell is only near, not in, its original station, and 

it can go further afield to teach its lessons of history and patriotism....Wherever displayed 

it will set people, and especially young people, to thinking and studying in a way that 

cannot have other than good results. The chances that the bell may be lost on one of its 

journeys or actually destroyed in a railway accident are so few as to be negligible.

--"Everybody Should See the Bell," New York Times, February 17, 1909

Katherine Ruschenberger purchased a replica of the Liberty Bell called the "Women’s Liberty Bell" or 

"Justice Bell" to promote the women’s suffrage movement. The bell’s clapper was chained so that it 

could not be rung. The chain was to be removed when women gained the right to vote. The Justice Bell 

was rung for the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919.

The original Liberty Bell announced the creation of democracy, the Women’s Liberty 

Bell will announce the completion of democracy.
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--Mrs. Katherine Ruschenberger, "Suffrage Liberty Bell," New York Times, March 31, 

1915

Philadelphia officials considered moving the bell to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for safekeeping during WWII.

But while American morale is of the best, while American patriotism burns bright, it still is 

good to have within view this evidence of the struggle of America for liberty. It will be an 

inspirational shrine. It will comfort those who may weaken during the struggle. It will be a 

constant reminder of the great American heritage of one nation indivisible with liberty and 

justice for all.

--Editorial, "The Grand Old Bell," Natchez, Mississippi Democrat, December 28, 1941

Civil rights protestors claimed they chose the Liberty Bell as their symbol because of its association 

with American freedoms and the struggle for black equality.

On March 12, 1965, twenty-five civil rights demonstrators entered Independence Hall and 

began a sit-in around the Liberty Bell. The demonstration was to dramatize the need to 

send Federal authorities to Selma, Alabama, to protect the rights of African Americans.

--"The Liberty Bell: A Special History Study," National Park Service, 1986
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Questions for Reading 1

1) Using a dictionary, look up the definition for "symbol." What are some symbols that you are 

most familiar with?

2) What did the bell represent in 1876?

3) What did the bell represent to suffragists?

4) Would you have supported the proposal to move the Liberty Bell during World War II? Why or 

why not? What does the proposal say about the importance of the Liberty Bell as a symbol?

5) Why do you think abolitionist groups selected the bell as their symbol? How did later civil 

rights groups use the bell?
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Determining the Facts

Reading 2: The Crack in the Liberty Bell

Most people are familiar with two aspects of the Liberty Bell: it is an important symbol, and it is 

cracked. The existing crack adds mystery to the symbolism. How and when did the bell crack? It 

is difficult to determine from historical documents, although there are many traditional 

explanations.

1824

The Marquis de Lafayette was only 19 years old in 1777 when he volunteered to fight in the 

American Revolution. In 1824 he returned to the United States on a triumphal tour around the 

country. His visit created a resurgence in pride and interest in the American Revolution.

On March 5, a Philadelphia newspaper, the American Daily Advertiser, published a poem about 

the old State House bell. There was no mention of a crack. Six months later, another newspaper 

ran a story about the bell and quoted its inscription. There was no mention of a crack.

1828

Records of the Philadelphia city councils show that councils discussed the new bell, clock and 

steeple of the Pennsylvania State House. The new bell was cast by John Wilbank in 1828. None 

of these discussions indicated that the old bell was unusable.

1829

The publications Saturday Evening Post and the Casket described the State House: "In the attic 

story of the basement of the steeple [the brick part of the building’s tower] is suspended the 

great bell." Both quote the inscription; neither mentions a crack.

1831

The city council agreed to let the young men of the city ring "the old State House bell" on the 

Fourth of July.

1837

A guidebook stated that the old State House bell was not in use, but it did not mention a crack. 

In the same year, a stylized rendering of the bell appeared in an antislavery publication showing 

the bell without a crack.

1841

A British traveler reported: "This bell, though no longer used for general purposes, still occupied 

the place in which it was originally hung, and...used on special occasions such as the 

anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and visits of distinguished visitors...."

According to local reporters, the "old bell" tolled on April 7, upon the death of President William 

Henry Harrison, the first President to die in office.

1844

The Philadelphia newspaper the Public Ledger carried a story about the bell, but did not 

mention a crack.

1846

Under the heading "The Old Independence Bell," the Public Ledger reported: "This venerable 

relic of the Revolution rang its last clear note on Monday last [February 23]...and now hangs in 

the great city steeple irreparably cracked and forever dumb. It had been cracked long before, 
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but was put in order for that day [Washington’s birthday] by having the edges of the fracture 

filed....It gave out clear notes and loud, and appeared to be in excellent condition until noon 

when it received a sort of compound fracture in a zigzag direction through one of its sides...."

1848

The Public Ledger mentioned in passing that the bell had cracked in the autumn of 1845.

1876

The volunteer curator of Independence Hall, Colonel Frank Etting, announced that he had 

discovered that the bell had cracked in 1835, while it was tolling for the funeral procession of 

Chief Justice John Marshall. Although widely accepted, this claim was never documented.

1884

John Wilbank’s son claimed that the bell had cracked in 1824, while welcoming Lafayette to 

Philadelphia.

1899

In his book The Reminiscences of a Very Old Man, 1808-1897, Philadelphian John Sartain 

claimed the bell cracked while celebrating passage by the British Parliament of the Catholic 

Emancipation Act of 1828.

1903

A letter to the editor of the Public Ledger claimed that the journals of the Philadelphia city 

councils proved that the bell cracked welcoming Lafayette in 1824. (The journals do not contain 

such a statement.)

1911

Joseph Rauch wrote to the New York Times that, as a boy, he had helped ring the bell on 

Washington’s birthday by pulling a rope attached to the clapper, and this was when the bell 

cracked.
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Questions for Reading 2

1) How many years passed between the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and 

Lafayette's triumphal visit in 1824? What kind of reaction did his visit provoke?

2) When and how do the different sources say the Liberty Bell cracked? Do the sources seem 

reliable? Is there any information that might indicate a reason for selecting the dates other than 

historical accuracy?

3) Why does there seem to be a need to attribute the cracking to a significant event? When do 

the stories begin that give a significant event as the occasion when the bell cracked? Why might 

that be?

4) Is there something about the title of John Sartain's book that might alert a researcher to read 

with caution?

5) Can you draw any conclusions about the crack from these sources?
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Determining the Facts

Reading 3: Going on Tour

The fame of the Liberty Bell spread when it was taken directly to the people in a series of trips to 

world’s fairs and expositions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first request for the Liberty 

Bell to travel outside Philadelphia was made in November 1884, by the Special Commissioner for the 

World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana. The commissioner 

thought it was important to have the bell in New Orleans for the opening of the exposition. He wrote to 

the Philadelphia City Council for permission and argued that sending the Liberty Bell to New Orleans 

would:

...meet with all the universal approbation and the heartiest greetings of all the people of 

the South. Our ancestors fought and bled for the time enduring principles which the bell 

rang out on July 4, 1776, and, although the bell is the property of the City of Philadelphia, 

yet are we not co-inheritors of its glories? In the name of those mutually earned glories, 

we ask you to let it come to New Orleans.

In order to get permission to allow the Liberty Bell to travel, the mayor of Philadelphia introduced the 

request to the Select and Common councils saying:

The consideration of the subject [sending the bell to New Orleans] demands the setting 

aside of any sectional or partisan views. If the presence of the Old Bell which rang out the 

birth of a great republic can be the means, by its presence in New Orleans, in restoring or 

cementing the same patriotic spirit in the entire nation at this time, it will bring credit and 

renown to this city, and make evident to the people of the South that the city of Brotherly 

Love, true to her history, is anxious to aid in the restoration of perfect harmony throughout 

the nation.

Shortly after Philadelphia’s mayor talked to the Select and Common councils, he received a letter from 

the mayor of New Orleans which said:

I am sure that its [the Liberty Bell’s] care and safety will be the anxious thought of all our 

citizens, who, notwithstanding all the reports as to their seditious feelings against the Unity 

of Our Government are, without fear of contradiction, as affectionate to the traditions of 

Our Country, the real Republic of the World, and are as true believers in its laws and 

constitution, in fact, as patriotic Americans, as their more favored brothers of the North.

Citizens of New Orleans signed petitions requesting that the bell be sent to their city. Philadelphia’s 

Committee on City Property recommended sending the bell to New Orleans providing that three 

policemen accompany the bell and watch over it at all times. Finally, the Philadelphia Common and 

Select councils voted in favor of sending the bell to New Orleans.
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Questions for Reading 3

1) What conflict was the Exposition Special Commissioner referring to when he talked about 

fighting and bleeding for the "time enduring principles" of the bell?

2) What date did the commissioner associate with the Liberty Bell?

3) Why did the mayor of Philadelphia ask the council to put aside "sectional or partisan views"?

4) What did Philadelphia's mayor hope to accomplish for the United States by sending the 

Liberty Bell to New Orleans? What did he hope to accomplish for Philadelphia?

5) What motivation might someone in New Orleans in 1884 have for doing damage to the 

Liberty Bell? Why did the mayor of New Orleans think it was necessary to refute the idea that 

anyone in New Orleans might damage the Liberty Bell?
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Determining the Facts

Chart 1: Timetable of part of the Liberty Bell’s trip home

Sunday, November 21, 1915 (Via Illinois Central Railroad)

Arrival/Departure City Time

Arrive East St. Louis, IL 11:20 am

Leave East St. Louis, IL 11:40 am

Arrive Greenville, IL 12:40 pm

Leave Greenville, IL 12:45 pm

Arrive Vandalia, IL 1:30 pm

Leave Vandalia, IL 1:40 pm

Arrive Terre Haute, IN 4:40 pm

Leave Terre Haute, IN 5:10 pm

Arrive Brazil, IN 5:35 pm

Leave Brazil, IN 5:45 pm

Arrive Indianapolis, IN 7:30 pm

Monday, November 22, 1915 (Via Pennsylvania Lines)

Arrival/Departure City Time

Leave Indianapolis, IN 12:30 am

Arrive Columbus, IN 2:30 am

Leave Columbus, IN 2:40 am

Arrive Scottsburg, IN 4:00 am

Leave Scottsburg, IN 4:05 am

Arrive Louisville, KY 6:00 am
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Leave Louisville, KY 10:00 am

Arrive Anchorage, KY 10:30 am

Leave Anchorage, KY 10:35 am

Arrive La Grange, KY 10:50 am

Leave La Grange, KY 10:55 am

Arrive Cincinnati, OH 1:30 pm

Leave Cincinnati, OH 4:30 pm

Arrive Hamilton, OH 5:15 pm

Leave Hamilton, OH 5:30 pm

Arrive Middletown, OH 5:36 pm

Leave Middletown, OH 6:01 pm

Arrive Dayton, OH 6:30 pm

Leave Dayton, OH 7:00 pm

Arrive Xenia, OH 7:27 pm

Leave Xenia, OH 7:37 pm

Arrive Columbus, OH 9:11 pm

Leave Columbus, OH 11:21 pm

The Liberty Bell's last trip was to the Pan Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. Chart 1 

shows two days of stops made by the Liberty Bell during the trip back to Philadelphia.
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Questions for Chart 1:

1) Why did the train carrying the Liberty Bell stop so frequently?

2) Using an atlas of the United States, note whether the towns visited by the Liberty Bell were 

small, medium, or large. Is there any correlation between the length of the stop and the size of 

the town?

3) Why would a variety of towns be selected as stops for the Liberty Bell?

4) If the Liberty Bell came through your town, would you go see it? Why or why not?

5) Do you think the tour of the bell around the country added to its fame as a symbol? Why or 

why not?
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Visual Evidence

Photo 1: Gen. John J. Pershing at the Liberty Bell, September 12, 1919

(Independence National Historical Park)

Gen. John J. Pershing, leader of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I, 

made a celebratory visit to the Liberty Bell in September 1919, 10 months after the war ended.
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Questions for Photo 1

1) Why would a visit to the Liberty Bell have been considered appropriate for General Pershing?

2) Study the photo carefully. What uses of symbolism can you identify?
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Visual Evidence

Photo 2: Crowds view the Liberty Bell in Scranton, Pennsylvania, November 25, 1915

(Independence National Historical Park)
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Photo 3: The Liberty Bell on tour to St. Louis for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904

(Independence National Historical Park)
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Questions for Photos 2 & 3

1) Why do you think so many people came to see the Liberty Bell?

2) What value would viewing the Liberty Bell have for the community?

3) What might the traveling Liberty Bell exhibit have meant to people distant from Philadelphia in 

a time when neither cars nor airplanes were readily available for long distance travel?
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Visual Evidence

Photo 4: The Liberty Bell passing through Plainfield, Connecticut, June 1903

(Photo by Lewis S. Mills, Independence National Historical Park)
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Photo 5: Park Ranger and children at the Liberty Bell Pavilion, 1995

(Photo by Michael J. Boorse, Independence National Historical Park)

Both photos show people responsible for protecting the Liberty Bell.
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Questions for Photos 4 & 5

1) Compare the two photos. What are some similarities and differences?

2) Describe the setting in Photo 5. Do you think the Liberty Bell Pavilion is an appropriate 

location for the bell? Why or why not?
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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

Visual Evidence

Photo 6: C.A. Goodrich's The Child's History of the United States, Cowperthwaite & Co., 

Philadelphia, 1878

(Independence National Historical Park)
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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

Questions for Photo 6

1) Why do you think the Liberty Bell was chosen to illustrate the cover of this book? What does 

this reveal about the importance of the Liberty Bell in American history?

2) In what condition is the bell depicted? Does the crack appear to be an important feature of 

the drawing? Why?

3) Where does the book's publication date fit into the Liberty Bell's chronology outlined in 

Reading 1? Does this provide any information on why the bell may have been chosen for the 

book's cover?
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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

Putting It All Together

Symbols such as the Liberty Bell are difficult to analyze because their significance is intangible. 

The historical record may not reveal the reason for the veneration of an object. Beliefs may 

change as new information is revealed or reinterpreted. If a symbol remains relevant or captures 

the imagination, it may endure. At the completion of these activities, have students draw 

generalizations about historical research and the process by which something becomes a 

symbol.

Activity 1: Why Is the Crack in the Liberty Bell So Important?

Ask students to form small groups and look up three references to the Liberty Bell in textbooks, 

encyclopedias, dictionaries, or specialized works on American culture. Have them copy the 

citation, recording the name of the reference and the date of publication. Have them search for 

answers to the following questions:

1. Does the reference describe the crack in the bell? Does it provide an explanation for the 

crack?

2. Is the information worded in a way that might caution the reader about the reliability of the 

information? If so, what is the cautionary phrase?

3. Does the information in the reference book agree with the information you discovered as 

you worked with this lesson?

4. Will this experience change your approach to using reference books in the future?

Next, have students write a position paper or engage in a debate on the question: "The crack in 

the Liberty Bell is a necessary component to its importance as a symbol to Americans and 

people from other nations." These questions will help students focus on the topic:

1. Is the crack really important to the history of the Liberty Bell?

2. Why do you think the crack intrigues people?

3. Do you think the Liberty Bell would have become such a universal symbol without the 

crack?

4. Why do you think people search for meaning where there may not be any?
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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

Activity 2: What Do Symbols Tell Us about Ourselves?

Have students work in pairs and interview each other to learn their responses to the following 

questions

1. First-time visitors to the Liberty Bell often comment that they thought the bell was bigger 

than it is. Why might they have that impression? Does this say anything about the power of 

symbols?

2. If given a choice, do you think people prefer legends or the truth? Why?

3. Why do you think it generally takes at least a generation before people seem to appreciate 

an event or try to heal wounds suffered by the country? Can you think of any modern 

examples of this phenomenon? What do these examples tell you about how we view our 

history?

When all interviews are complete, go through each of the questions and keep a tally of similar 

responses on the chalk board. Then ask the students to try to think of events that have occurred 

in their lifetimes that might one day become symbolized as important events in American 

history. Ask them to discuss or debate the reliability of accounts by people alive at the time of 

certain events.
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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

Activity 3: Symbols in the Local Community

Hold a class discussion in which students list reasons why people use symbols. Ask students to 

look for and list several patriotic symbols found in their communities or found in advertisements 

in their local newspaper. Ask them to evaluate each symbol and draw conclusions about the use 

of symbols in general and the use of patriotic symbols for commercial purposes. Have students

share their lists of symbols found locally, and then hold a classroom discussion using the 

following questions as a guide: Why might a patriotic symbol encourage someone to purchase a 

product? Do you think Americans are using more or fewer symbols than they did several years 

ago? How can you account for the change? Are there certain events or world situations that 

have caused Americans to create patriotic symbols? Do symbols always retain their original 

meanings? Have patriotic symbols been replaced by other types of symbols? Are there events 

or "atmospheres" that promote or result in a greater use of symbols in society? Why?
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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

References and Endnotes

Reading 1

Compiled from David Kimball, Venerable Relic: The Story of the Liberty Bell (Philadelphia: 

Eastern National Park and Monument Association, 1989); and John C. Paige with David A. 

Kimball, "The Liberty Bell: A Special History Study," National Park Service, Denver, unpublished 

manuscript, 1986.

Reading 2

Compiled from David A. Kimball, Venerable Relic: The Story of the Liberty Bell (Philadelphia: 

Eastern National Park Association, 1989); John C. Paige with David A. Kimball, "The Liberty 

Bell: A Special History Study," National Park Service, Denver, unpublished manuscript, 1986; 

and files at Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia.

Reading 3

Compiled from John C. Paige with David A. Kimball, "The Liberty Bell: A Special Study," 

National Park Service, Denver, unpublished manuscript, 1986.

Chart 1

From John C. Paige with David A. Kimball, "The Liberty Bell: A Special History Study," National 

Park Service, Denver, unpublished manuscript, 1986.
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The Liberty Bell: From Obsurity to Icon

Additional Resources

By looking at The Liberty Bell: From Obscurity to Icon, students can more easily analyze the 

historical and cultural influences that shaped the symbolic meaning of the Liberty Bell. Those 

interested in learning more will find that the Internet offers a variety of materials.

Independence National Historical Park

Independence National Historical Park is a unit of the National Park System. The park's web 

page provides details on the park and visitation information. Independence NHP, located in 

Philadelphia, is comprised of historical buildings related to the creation of the Declaration of 

Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Featured on the site is detailed 

information about each of the historic sites, including the Liberty Bell, as well as a history of 

what happened here during the making of a new nation.

The National Park Service

The National Park Service's Historical Themes in America features the Liberty Bell and 

Independence National Historical Park under Government: Constitution.

National Register of Historic Places: We Shall Overcome

To learn more about the Civil Rights Movement visit We Shall Overcome. This travel itinerary 

provides a detailed history of the movement and the national historic sites associated with civil 

rights.

Historic Places of America’s Diverse Culture

The National Register of Historic Places online itinerary Places Reflecting America’s Diverse 

Cultures highlights the historic places and stories of America’s diverse cultural heritage. This 

itinerary seeks to share the contributions various peoples have made in creating American 

culture and history.

Library of Congress

Search the digital collections in the Library of Congress web page for further demonstrations of 

how the Liberty Bell was used as a symbol.

The Liberty Bell Homepage

Created by USHISTORY.ORG, the Liberty Bell Homepage tells you everything you wanted to 

know about the Liberty Bell. Included on the site is a history of the bell, information about the 

crack, an essay on the bell as an American icon, and much more.