This is the anniversary of one of the supposed crackings of the Liberty Bell. According to legend, the bell got a serious crack when it was rung to honor the death of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall. In 1751, the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly commissioned the bell for 100 pounds. It was meant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges (the original constitution of Pennsylvania). It was engraved with “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”. It was flawed from the beginning due to poor ingredients. It was delivered in August, 1752 and cracked in testing so it was recast twice before being placed in the State House (later renamed Independence Hall). It was 70% copper, 25% tin, and included lead, zinc, gold, silver, and arsenic. The final bell still had flaws. It weighs 2,080 pounds and is 12 feet in circumference and 3 feet tall. It was not rung on July 4, 1776 as is commonly believed, but it was probably rung on July 8, 1776. During the war, it was hidden in a church in Allentown, Pa. when Philadelphia was occupied by the British. Over the years it was rung for the signing of the Constitution, and the deaths of Franklin, Washington, Hamilton, and Jefferson / Adams. The first crack apparently occurred when it was rung for Lafayette during his 1824 visit to the U.S. In the 1830’s it acquired its name when abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison adopted it as a symbol of freedom. Before this it was called the State House Bell. The most popular story of its crack is that it occurred when the bell was rung upon the death of Marshall on July 8, 1835. There is no proof for this story. In 1846, it cracked more for Washington’s birthday and has not been rung since.
https://www.history.com/news/why-is-the-liberty-bell-cracked
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-liberty-bell
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/51529/how-did-liberty-bell-get-cracked
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Bell
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