The Liberty Bell of Independence National Historical Park: A Special History Study
Paige JC. The Liberty Bell of Independence National Historical Park: A Special History Study. National Park Service. Denver, Colorado
Each year hundreds of thousands of visitors pass through the small pavilion on the south side of Market Street in Philadelphia to gaze upon and, possibly, to tour;h a broken bell -The "Liberty Bell". Why do people travel across oceans and continents to stand before a bell? Why do people regard this bell in silent veneration? Why has this bell become an ubiquitous image in popular American culture? The ;mswers to these questions are complex and encompass more than two hundred years of American history. In fact, the origin of bells dates back to the beginning of mankind with bells being discovered in prehistoric archeological excavations. The ancient Jews, Greeks and Romans used bells to assemble people together for important pronouncements, to open markets or baths and to mark solemn moments of religious ceremonies. Bells, through these uses, became associated with potentious events. The Christian church, which succeeded the Roman Empire as the unifying factor in Europe, by the sixth century used bells to call people to prayer. Sells were rung to give alarms, to toll for the dead and to announce church holidays. Medieval civil authorities rang bells to announce the opening of markets and city gates, to raise alarms in times of crisis, and to denote times of jubilation or mourning.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Paige, John
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- HIST , INDE
- Keywords
- ehistory, History, Liberty Bell, Philadelphia