Life & English: "Cracked bell"

(ICTPress) - The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of independence and freedom in the United States. Why was the bell cracked?

On road from New York to Washington DC, we visited the Liberty Bell inPhiladelphia, the old capital of United States.

The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of independence and freedom in the United States. The bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack, today know as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."

The Liberty Bell was originally located in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House, now renamed Independence Hall. Bells were rung to mark the reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. In its early years, the bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens about public meetings and proclamations. After American independence was secured, it fell into relative obscurity for some years. In the 1830s, the bell was adopted as a symbol by abolitionist societies, who dubbed it the "Liberty Bell," It's now located in Philadelphia's Liberty Bell Center.

Liberty Bell

Why was the bell cracked? That is a common question young visitors ask. The guide said that the bell was cracked when first rung after arrival inPhiladelphia, and it was twice recast by local workmenJohnPassand John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. However, that explanation seemed not enough to us. A crack mark in the Liberty Bell could always be a question mark about real freedom and real liberty.

Author: Anna Nguyen

Editor: Daniel McIntyre