The Liberty Bell, a prominent symbol of the American Revolutionary War, was typically rung to call the Assembly together and to summon people together for special announcements and events such as elections and holidays. The Liberty Bell tolled frequently. Among the more historically important occasions, it tolled when Benjamin Franklin was sent to England to address Colonial grievances, it tolled when King George III ascended to the throne in 1761, and it tolled to call together the people of Philadelphia to discuss the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765.
In October 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia. Weeks earlier all bells, including the Liberty Bell, were removed from the city. It was well understood that, if left, they would likely be melted down and used for cannon. The Liberty Bell was removed from the city and hidden in the floorboards of the Zion Reformed Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Liberty Bell gained iconic importance when abolitionists in their efforts to put an end to slavery throughout America adopted it as a symbol.
Today the Bell can be viewed at the Liberty Bell Center at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, PA, where I took this shot late summer last year.
AC/DC – Hells Bells
[audio:https://austinvegas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ACDC-Hells-Bells.mp3]
