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The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell today is located across the street from the Liberty Bell Center. The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London-based firm Lester and Pack, and was cast with the words "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof". It cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose surnames appear on the bell. It is likely that the Liberty Bell was among the bells in Philadelphia to ring on July 8, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was first read to the public, although no contemporary account exists. It acquired its distinctive large crack sometime in the first half of the 19th century—a widespread story claims it cracked while ringing after the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

James Smith

... that James Smith (pictured) signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence even though he was not in Congress to vote on it on July 4, 1776?
... that the opening number from 1776 was quoted in the musical Hamilton?
... that Manuel García de Sena's 1811 translation of U.S. founding documents into Spanish influenced the first constitutions of Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela?
... that construction of Boston's Faneuil Hall, later to become the "Cradle of Liberty", was approved by a mere seven-vote majority?
... that the author of Liberia's declaration of independence, based on the United States's, was also the pastor of the church where it was signed?
... that a widely read Chinese revolutionary tract published in 1903 was influenced by the U.S. Declaration of Independence?
... that an All-American born on the Fourth of July came back from the dead to fight another day?
... that Thomas Jefferson's Monticello has inspired hundreds of replicas?
... that Rhoda Palmer was the only signer of the pro–universal suffrage Declaration of Sentiments known to have cast a vote?
... that, according to one historian, American patriot Paul Revere might not even recognize his own house?

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On this day

July 4: Independence Day in the United States (1776); Republic Day in the Philippines (1946); Liberation Day in Rwanda (1994)

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull

414 – Byzantine emperor Theodosius II proclaimed his elder sister Aelia Pulcheria as Augusta.
1776 – In Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence (signing pictured), announcing that the thirteen American colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire.
1954 – In what is known as "The Miracle of Bern", West Germany defeated Hungary 3–2 to win the FIFA World Cup.
1988 – Kylie Minogue's first album, Kylie, was released, and went on to top the charts in the UK and New Zealand.
2024 – Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the United Kingdom general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative rule.

Thomas Jefferson (d. 1826)
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The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States, adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Principally drafted by Thomas Jefferson with input from the Committee of Five, it announced the result of the Lee Resolution, passed two days earlier, that the Thirteen Colonies were independent states no longer subject to British rule. The Declaration justified separation by asserting the principles of natural rights, government by consent, and the right of revolution, while listing grievances against George III. Its assertion that "all men are created equal" has become one of the most influential statements in political history, shaping democratic and independence movements worldwide. The image shows the engrossed parchment copy prepared by Timothy Matlack and signed by the delegates. This version, signed primarily on August 2, is preserved in the Charters of Freedom of the National Archives Building and is generally considered to be the official document.

Document credit: Thomas Jefferson; prepared by Timothy Matlack and photographed by the National Archives and Records Administration

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