Little-Known Details About The Liberty Bell
Bearing its famous crack and the words “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” the Liberty Bell is one of the United States’ most important icons. And yet while Americans revere this object, there are details about it that not everyone knows. The Liberty Bell has its secrets, and we’re going to take a look at some now.
1. The word “Pennsylvania” on it is spelled wrong
The Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly Liberty Bell was responsible for commissioning the Liberty Bell, so it’s hardly a surprise to learn the word “Pennsylvania” is etched into its face. What might come as a shock, however, is that the term isn’t spelled that way. It actually appears as “Pensylvania,” with one less “n” that we’re used to. This wasn’t a silly mistake, though: that way of spelling the word was acceptable a few centuries ago.
2. One of the first records comes from Benjamin Franklin
One of the earliest written references to the Liberty Bell dates back to 1755: it was written by someone Americans know all about. On October 16 that year, Benjamin Franklin penned a letter to one Catherine Ray. He wrote, “Adieu. The Bell rings, and I must go among the Grave ones, and talk Politiks.”
3. It likely didn’t sound on a special date
Every American knows the significance of the date July 4, 1776. It was the first Independence Day, which was cause for massive celebration for every revolutionary across the land. But despite rumors to the contrary, it’s unlikely that the Liberty Bell sounded that day. Reports of the bell ringing were written, but it probably never happened. It was rung four days after that, though.
4. We don’t know for sure when it cracked
Obviously one of the most famous of the Liberty Bell’s features is its crack, but nobody really knows when that first appeared. There are a bunch of stories out there that suggest it happened at this time or that, but it’s impossible to know which, if any of them, are true. It’s a mystery.
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