Nevada's Liberty Bell Replica

This replica of the Liberty Bell was created in a foundry in France and given to the United States government in 1950. The replica was intended as a symbol of the U.S. Savings Bond Independence Drive, which took place from May 15 to July 4, 1950. Unlike the original Liberty Bell, the replica bell at the Nevada State Museum has no visible crack.

A historical marker placed at the site, adjacent to the Nevada State Museum, contains the following inscription:

"In standing before this symbol, you have the opportunity to dedicate yourself, as did our founding fathers, to the principles of the individual freedom for which our nation stands."

The original Liberty Bell rang in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House, also known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The first bell intended for this purpose was commissioned in 1751 from the Whitechapel Foundry in London. However, the bell cracked the very first time that it was rung in Philadelphia. As a result, two local metalworkers in Pennsylvania had to melt down the bell and recast it, creating what became the official Liberty Bell for Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

By the 1840s, however, the official Liberty Bell developed a fissure after almost a century of use. The bell was repaired, but nevertheless, a wide crack remained visible. Consequently, the Liberty Bell could no longer be rung freely with a clapper. The National Park Service, which maintains the bell, has made available to the public a digital reproduction of how the bell would have originally sounded upon being rung.

Throughout the 1800s, the Liberty Bell traveled the nation, visiting different cities. The bell was intended to remind people of an earlier time when the new nation shared a common cause. The federal government was particularly keen to send this message during the years following the Civil War. In addition, abolitionists and women's suffragists resonated with the bell and the message of liberty inscribed on it.

This inscription included a passage from the King James Bible that referred to the Jubilee, a tradition celebrated by the ancient Israelites. According to this tradition, every half century the ancient Israelites returned property and freed slaves. Citing the inscription of this Biblical passage, early supporters of civil rights, women's suffrage, and the abolition of slavery in the U.S. believed that the bell should symbolize liberty for all.

Although its earlier name was simply the State House Bell, since it rang at the Pennsylvania State House, abolitionists first began calling it the Liberty Bell in an 1835 Anti-Slavery publication. This moniker did not catch on widely at first. Nevertheless, today the bell is known around the world as the Liberty Bell. It no longer travels to visit different parts of the country. However, several U.S. cities (including Carson City) feature a replica Liberty Bell on public display.

Mariner, Cosmos . Dedicated to You, A Free Citizen in a Free Land Nevada's Liberty Bell Replica, Historical Marker Database . January 13th 2019. Accessed April 24th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=128551.

The Liberty Bell, National Park Service. Accessed April 25th 2021. https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/stories-libertybell.htm.