THE LIBERTY BELL
One of the most, iconic symbols of our national heritage --the Liberty Bell --hangs magnificently in the city of brotherly love. In 1751, the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the bell to commemorate the commonwealth's fiftieth anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges. Penn wrote of the liberties afforded by a people who trust, solemnly profess, and worship --in his words --the "Almighty God being the only Lord of Conscience, Father of Lights and Spirits; and the Author as well as Object of all divine Knowledge, Faith and Worship; and in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.
In August 1752, the bell arrived from Britain's shores. However, its rim cracked upon the clapper's first strike. So, two local foundry men, Pass and Stow, offered to recast the bell. Their first attempt did not fare well: the bell sounded horribly, and still it cracked again -- despite their attempts to make the bell stronger. They refused to give up; and as such, the men recast the bell for a third time. Above their names, this declaration from Leviticus 25:10 is inscribed: "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."