The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Provincial Assembly of Pennsylvania from the London firm of Lester and Pack and was cast with the inscription "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof" (a biblical reference from the Book of Leviticus).
Over the years, the bell has repeatedly announced important public events and threats to society. It was first named the Liberty Bell by a group of activists trying to abolish slavery. In the 1830s, abolitionists adopted it as a symbol of their fight for the right to freedom.
Currently, the bell is a museum exhibit in Philadelphia. It is located in a building that is part of Independence National Historical Park.
