On July 8th, the Pennsylvania State House bell rang calling the citizens of Philadelphia to listen to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Colonel John Nixon read the words publicly for all to hear. Other locations for public readings included Trenton and Easton! Can you imagine the awe at the words that “all men are created equal” in a world dominated by kings, queens, and hereditary nobility?

The Pennsylvania State House is now called Independence Hall and is a National Park. The bell was not cracked when it rang in 1776 and did not get named the Liberty Bell until the 1830’s or when it became a symbol of liberty in the abolition movement. According to the National Park Service, the Liberty Bell became unusable in 1846 when it was rang to celebrate George Washington’s birthday.

I wonder if those citizens in Philadelphia had any idea just how much the words of the Declaration of Independence would impact the world!

Thank you for following along as we tell stories of America and celebrate Thomas Jefferson as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence!