Philadelphia Means Publishing

Red text over an illustration of the Liberty Bell on a white background

Philadelphia's Liberty Bell, originally known as the State House bell, was created in the 1750’s and designed to call lawmakers into session. It was used continuously through the Revolutionary War and the naming of a new nation: The United States of America. The inscription on the bell “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof" was inspired by a biblical reference and chosen in 1751. The inscription gained attention in the 1830s by abolitionists who found particular meaning in ending slavery and contributed to the bell’s change of name to the Liberty Bell.