1824, the Franklin Institute is one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States. Many of us have been there with our families and with our schools on field trips. It is a fun and interesting way to learn about science and their special shows attract so many people that you have to make reservations.The LIBERTY BELL, one of America's most treasured artifacts, first tolled on July 8, 1776, announcing a new birth of freedom throughout the land. Since then, it has endured as a symbol of the liberty that Americans enjoy under their representative form of government.The bell was soon used to call people's attention to important events and announcements, such as the 1761 announcement of King George III as ruler of Great Britain, the repeal of the Sugar Act of 1764, and the calling of meetings to discuss the Stamp Act of 1765. Other famous tollings announced the calling of the Continental Congress, the beginning of the Revolutionary War, and the announcement of the Declaration of Independence. This last, the most famous ringing, occurred on July 8, 1776, at the first public reading of the Declaration.
The bell was removed from the city for safety in 1777. It was brought back to Philadelphia in 1778 but not rehung because the state house steeple, badly in need of repairs, couldn't hold it. The bell was finally rehung in 1785, when the steeple was rebuilt, and it tolled in 1787 to announce the ratification of the Constitution.
The bell continued to toll to commemorate special days, like the 4th of July and George Washington's birthday, February 22. It is generally believed that the bell cracked for good on Washington's birthday, 1846.
Facts About the Liberty Bell
- It weighs 2,080 pounds.
- It is made mostly of copper (70 percent) and tin (25 percent), with other metals included.
- It is 7.5 feet around the lip of the bell.
- It is 12 feet around the crown of the bell.
- The crack is one-half inch wide and 24.5 inches long.
- It is three feet tall.
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