Liberty Bell From Independence Hall example essay topic

Among the more obscure events in American history involves the Liberty Bell's travels by rail car around the United States to be placed on exhibit at numerous World's Fairs. From 1885 to 1915, the Liberty Bell traveled by rail on seven separate trips to eight different World's Fair exhibitions visiting nearly 400 cities and towns on those trips coast to coast. At the time, the Liberty Bell's trips were widely publicized so that each town where the Liberty Bell train stopped was well prepared for their venerable guest. Each stop on the way to the host World's Fair exhibition lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. The Liberty Bell was nearly always met with military salutes, parades, patriotic music and throngs of cheering men, women and children. In 1873, Philadelphian Henry Seybert donated to the City of Philadelphia a new bell and a large clock for tower of Independence Hall.

Seybert commissioned the Meneely and Kimberly Bell Foundry to cast the bell and have it installed in the steeple by July 4, 1876 in time to usher in the Centennial anniversary celebration. The bell was cast using a mixture of 80% copper and 20% tin with the addition of one hundred pounds each of four cannons - a British and American cannon from the battle of Saratoga and a Union and Confederate cannon from the battle of Gettysburg. The bell weighs 13,000 pounds representing 1,000 pounds for each of the 13 original states and bears the following inscriptions: Around the crown: 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men - Luke, chapter II, verse 14. ' Around the lip: ' Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof - Leviticus, chapter XXV, verse 10. ' Upon one side of the of the bell is cast - 'Presented to the city of Philadelphia, July 4, 1876, for the belfry of Independence Hall, by a citizen. ' On the opposite side is the date '1776' and the coat of arms of the United States set in a shield containing 13 stars.

In addition, 38 stars representing the number of states in the Union in 1876 encircle the waist of the bell. The first casting of Henry Seybert's bell did not meet with his expectations in terms of tonal quality. It was recast following the Centennial and was judged much improved. It is this bell that hangs in the tower of Independence Hall today.

In the early years following the Civil War, the first request for the Liberty Bell's presence at a World's Fair was sent to the City of Philadelphia. In late 1884, S. Prentiss Nutt, Special Commissioner for the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, wrote to Philadelphia Mayor William B. Smith requesting that the Liberty Bell be sent to New Orleans for the opening of the exposition the following year. The desire for unity by both the North and the South is evident in the request for the Bell and the reply from Philadelphia. Special Commissioner Nutt declared that sending the Liberty Bell to New Orleans would: 'meet with the universal approbation and the heartiest greetings of all the people of the South.

Our ancestors fought and bled for the time-enduring principles which that bell rang out on July 4, 1776 and, although the bell is the property of the City of Philadelphia, yet are we not co inheritors-inheritors of its glories? In the name of those mutually earned glories, we ask you to let it come to New Orleans. ' Mayor Smith proposed the trip to the Select and Common Councils of Philadelphia stating, 'If the presence of the Old Bell which rang out the birth of a great republic can be the means, by its presence at New Orleans, in restoring or cementing the same patriotic spirit in the entire nation at this time, it will bring credit and renown to this city, and make evident to the people of the South that the City of Brotherly Love, true to her history, is anxious to aid in the restoration of perfect harmony throughout the nation. ' The City of Philadelphia agreed to send the Bell to New Orleans with the condition that three policemen accompany and guard it at all times. At a time when the nation's sense of wholeness was still very fragile, the Liberty Bell's trip from North to South proved to be a balm in the spirit of healing national unity. Much fanfare and ceremony accompanied the Liberty Bell's removal from Independence Hall for the trip south.

On January 23, 1885, the Liberty Bell was transported to New Orleans on a special flat railroad car and hung on a wood and decorated metal frame that permitted full view of the Bell during its travels. As the Liberty Bell train traversed through the countryside, large crowds gathered to cheer its passing, church bells rang, cannons fired. In towns where the Bell stopped, it was greeted with enormous crowds of people, parades, speeches, salutes and much ceremonious honor. Following a very successful exhibition, the Liberty Bell began its trip home to Philadelphia on June 13, 1885. The Mayor of New Orleans and city officials accompanied the Bell on its return trip. Meeting in Baltimore, the mayoral parties of both great cities continued the trip together to Philadelphia where an official reception was planned for the return of the Liberty Bell to its home.

Aside from being a local attraction and natural presence at the two world's fairs held in Philadelphia to celebrate the United States 100th and 150th birthdays, the Liberty Bell was an invited guest at several other U.S. expositions. From 1885 to 1915, the Liberty Bell traveled coast to coast and brought its hope of unity and patriotism to hundreds of thousands of citizens that may never have been able to visit Philadelphia. These road trips greatly increased the Liberty Bell's popularity. The World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 was staged in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. Requested for exhibit on loan from the city of Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell traveled to Chicago by train aboard a special flatbed railroad car. On this flatbed car, the Bell was visible to all along the route to Chicago.

Cities between Philadelphia and Chicago welcomed the Liberty Bell with much fanfare and celebration! This was the Liberty Bell's second trip outside of Philadelphia. Notably, while the Liberty Bell was in Chicago, a new crack or an extension of the existing crack was discovered. Concern for the Bell's structural integrity arose and question of whether the Liberty Bell should continue travel to other cities was raised by Philadelphians. Considerable controversy arose around the request for the Liberty Bell to appear on exhibit at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1895.

The request, placed by the Mayor of Atlanta, Edwin S. Stuart, was originally denied by the Philadelphia Committee on City Property. The Philadelphia City Council overturned the Committee's decision and established a special committee to plan for the Bell's trip to Atlanta again via railway. Opposition from private groups arose stating that a railway accident could destroy the Bell. Also, fear that the Liberty Bell may crack further contributed to the opposition. However, supporters of the Liberty Bell's journey to another world's fair stated that the Bell belonged to the nation and must be shared.

It was also hoped that the Liberty Bell's trip to Atlanta would raise national patriotism and serve as a bond between the North and the South. A lawsuit was filed to stop the Bell's trip, but the court ruled in favor of the city's right to send the Bell anywhere. The safety of the Liberty Bell was taken into consideration and a special rubber cushion was constructed for the Bell to rest on during its train trip. The train stopped frequently between Philadelphia and Atlanta only to be greeted by cheering crowds, speeches, ceremonies and great fanfare. The Liberty Bell arrived in Atlanta on October 8th and it was placed on a float in a two mile procession to Piedmont Park and placed on exhibit in the Pennsylvania Building. The pamphlet from 1895 entitled, 'Liberty Bell from Independence Hall, Philadelphia to Atlanta' was given away to visitors of the Liberty Bell exhibit at the Atlanta Exposition.

The pamphlet included 'a complete record of all the Great Events announced by the Ringing of the Bell from 1753 to 1835. ' The author of the pamphlet was Charles S. Keyser. Arguing for the cause of unity between the North and the South and to inspire patriotism, the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, convinced the Philadelphia City Council to allow the Liberty Bell to travel to Charleston for the 1902 South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition. On January 6, 1902, the Liberty Bell started its journey to South Carolina by rail.

Removing the Liberty Bell from its new glass case, rolling it out to the street and lifting the Bell by means of a crane onto a wagon proved no small task. However, the Liberty Bell again received its due honor in transport to the railroad station: 'The vehicle was drawn by four horses and the Liberty Bell rested under an arbor dressed with white bunting and violets, capped by a figure of Liberty. Four bells of violets adorned the corner posts and a score of silk flags, besides many yards of bunting in the national colors completely hid the framework of the wagon from view. ' As the journey began from the train station, a 21-gun salute was fired at League Island by order of the Secretary of the Navy. January 9, 1902, was declared 'Liberty Bell Day' in Charleston and celebrated in full as a holiday.

Greeted by thousands upon its arrival, the Liberty Bell was escorted by military to the exposition grounds where it was then placed in the Philadelphia Building for exhibit through June 10, 1902. In March of 1903, the mayor of Boston requested the Liberty Bell for exhibition at the 128th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Once approved, the Bell was scheduled for the trip from June 15 through June 20. The bell train left Philadelphia on June 15 with a mayoral escort. The Liberty Bell was greeted with gun salutes, bands playing, and cheering crowds throughout the 13 scheduled stops on the way to Boston. The Bell arrived in Boston on June 16 where it was transferred to a decorated float drawn by 13 horses (each horse represented one of the 13 original colonies.) Accompanied by a military escort, the Liberty Bell formed part of the procession towards Charlestown where the commemoration ceremonies of the battle of Bunker Hill took place.

Afterwards, the Liberty Bell was taken to Boston Common where a wreath of mountain laurel was placed over it. On June 18, the next day, the Bell began its return trip back to Philadelphia where it was greeted with a reception on June 20th. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904, commemorated the 100th anniversary of the purchase of the Louisiana Territory by the United States. One of the leading attractions at this fair was the Liberty Bell displayed in the Pennsylvania State Building from June to November. While the formal request for the Liberty Bell exhibit originated from the Secretary of the Exposition, the most compelling request came from a petition signed by 75,000 St. Louis school children asking to have the bell on exhibit. The Liberty Bell was removed from Independence Hall on June 3, 1904, and escorted by an impressive military pageant to a special train car designed for the Bell's trip through Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri.

This was to be the longest trip that the Liberty Bell had made to date. The day of the Liberty Bell's arrival in St. Louis, June 8, the St. Louis Mayor officially declared it 'Liberty Bell Day' in honor of the Bell's arrival. The people of St. Louis turned out in hordes for the reception. From the train station, the Liberty Bell was taken to the fair grounds on a float decorated with flags and banners and pulled by 13 gray draft horses symbolizing the 13 original states. At the head of the team was a large gray horse bearing a large blue ribbon containing the word 'Pennsylvania'. The float was accompanied by a platoon of St. Louis mounted police and carriages carrying fair and civic officials.

Huge crowds gathered to watch the procession - particularly thousands of children enjoying the legal holiday in honor of the Bell. Because of the concern for the potential damage caused by travel to the Liberty Bell, the city officials in Philadelphia initially denied San Francisco's request to exhibit the Bell. However, city officials changed their minds when they received a petition signed by over 200,000 California schoolchildren requesting the Liberty Bell. To ensure its safety throughout a long trip across the country, engineers fitted the Liberty Bell with a special brace called a spider. This iron device fit inside the Bell and supported its weight and clapper with six curved arms clamped to the Bell's rim. The Liberty Bell still wears the spider today.

Before the Liberty Bell returned to Philadelphia following the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, it made another appearance at the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. On November 11, the Liberty Bell was placed on a train and sent to San Diego. The day of its arrival was declared a 'Liberty Bell Day' and the Bell was escorted to its exhibition site with much fanfare. The Liberty Bell remained in San Diego until November 15 when it was placed on the return train to Philadelphia.

The Bell's 10-day journey back to the East Coast took it through the southern states and up through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and, finally, Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell's trip to San Diego by way of San Francisco in 1915 was its last outside of Philadelphia. Since that time the Liberty Bell has been moved only three times within the city of Philadelphia. It was featured in two parades during the Liberty Loan drives of 1917 and 1918 and then it was moved in 1976 from Independence Hall to its new pavilion across the street on Independence Mall. At this writing, proposals are being considered for a new home for the Liberty Bell - a larger and grander pavilion near its current site. One of the longest lasting tributes to the Liberty Bell comes in the form of its numerous life-sized and scale replicas.

Aside from the State-owned replicas, many have been produced during the 19th and 20th centuries for museums, memorials and other types of promotion and are still on display. The largest single event in the 19th century to encourage a burgeoning Liberty Bell souvenir industry was the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. At the time of this fair, the Liberty Bell had already gained a reputation as one our nation's symbols of freedom. To celebrate the U.S. 100th anniversary, a wide assortment of souvenirs were produced which made use of the Liberty Bell in some fashion. Inspired by the patriotic sentiment that the Liberty Bell had come to embody, William McDowell, of New Jersey, conceived an idea to cast a new bell for display at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The purpose of the new bell, named the 'Columbian Liberty Bell', was to promote freedom and peace worldwide.

Mr. McDowell convinced the Daughters of the American Revolution to launch a fund-raising campaign to provide support for the casting of the Columbian bell. The Daughters of the American Revolution issued nation-wide requests for individuals to contribute metal objects of historical interest to be melted down and added as part of the bell metal. Hundreds of donations were received, among them being the keys to Jefferson Davis' house, pike heads used by John Brown at Harper's Ferry, John C. Calhoun's silver spoon, Lucretia Mott's silver fruit knife, Simon Bolivar's watch chain, hinges from the door of Abraham Lincoln's house at Springfield, George Washington's surveying chain, Thomas Jefferson's copper kettle, Mrs. Parnell's earrings, and 250,000 pennies. The metal contributions were given to the Meneely Bell Company for casting.

After the casting was completed, the excess metal was used to cast miniature bell souvenirs which were given to schools. The Columbian Liberty Bell weighed 13,000 pounds representing 1,000 pounds for each of the 13 original states and was cast with the following inscriptions from the New and Old Testaments of the Bible: 'Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof' (Lev 25: 10) 'Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men' (Luke 2: 14) 'A new commandment I give unto to you, that ye love one another' (John 13: 34) The Columbian Liberty Bell was placed on display at the 1893 Exposition and rang for various events. At the end of the Exposition, the bell was sent on tour of the United States and was also exhibited at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta. After this time, the Columbian Liberty Bell disappeared. The Liberty Bell had long been used as a symbol of freedom for anti-slavery and abolitionist groups throughout the 19th century. The Liberty Bell symbol was used similarly for the Women's Suffrage Movement in the early 1900's.

In 1915, Katherine Ruschenberger commissioned a bell founder to create a replica of the Liberty Bell to further the cause of the Suffrage Amendment. This bell came to be known as the 'Woman's Liberty Bell' or the 'Justice Bell. ' During the summer of 1915, the replica bell was displayed in every county in Pennsylvania. Women suffragettes accompanying the bell would encourage the men to vote for suffrage in the November election. The bell's clapper was chained so that the bell could not be rung and would be unchained only when women received the right to vote. The pamphlet to the right was passed out to visitors of the replica bell to educate the public and encourage men to vote for suffrage.

Mrs. Ruschenberger is quoted, 'The original Liberty Bell announced the creation of democracy; the Woman's Liberty Bell will announce the completion of democracy. ' The bottom of the pamphlet reads 'Help break the chains that hold the bronze clapper silent. Vote 'Yes' on the Suffrage Amendment on Election Day. ' In 1926, Philadelphia staged its second world's fair to celebrate the 150th anniversary of independence in the United States, the Sesquicentennial International Exposition. The 1926 Sesquicentennial International Exposition held in Philadelphia featured many exciting and unusual attractions. One of the most fascinating was the elaborate gateway built at the entrance of the Exposition - a gigantic, 80 foot replica of the Liberty Bell.

People, cars and trucks passed under it to enter the fair! The sheet-metal bell was covered with almost 26,000 15-watt light bulbs so that it could be seen at night. Even the clapper was covered in lights. The mammoth Liberty Bell was designed by engineers of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company... Unfortunately, the fair was not a tremendous success due to low attendance - only 10 million of the expected 50 million visitors attended. Attributing to low attendance was the rain that was present on more than half the days the fair was open.

While the Liberty Bell remained in its home in Independence Hall not far from the fairgrounds its image was used repeatedly as a symbol of the Exposition. The Liberty Bell had long since come to represent liberty and freedom for the United States and using its image on Exposition souvenirs was ideal in light of the fair's theme - our nation's 150th birthday. In 1950, the United States Department of the Treasury assisted by several private companies selected a foundry in Annecy-le-Vieux, France to cast 55 full-sized replicas of the Liberty Bell. The bells were shipped as gifts to states and territories of the United States and the District of Columbia to be displayed and rung on patriotic occasions. This was part of a savings bond drive held from May 15 to July 4, 1950 with the slogan 'Save for Your Independence. '.