The Liberty Bell (Icons of America) Hardcover - 2010

From the publisher

Each year, more than two million visitors line up near Philadelphia s Independence Hall and wait to gaze upon a flawed mass of metal forged more than two and a half centuries ago. Since its original casting in England in 1751, the Liberty Bell has survived a precarious journey on the road to becoming a symbol of the American identity, and in this masterful work, Gary B. Nash reveals how and why this voiceless bell continues to speak such volumes about our nation.

A serious cultural history rooted in detailed research, Nash s book explores the impetus behind the bell s creation, as well as its evolutions in meaning through successive generations. With attention to Pennsylvania s Quaker roots, he analyzes the biblical passage from Leviticus that provided the bell s inscription and the valiant efforts of Philadelphia s unheralded brass founders who attempted to recast the bell after it cracked upon delivery from London s venerable Whitechapel Foundry. Nash fills in much-needed context surrounding the bell s role in announcing the Declaration of Independence and recounts the lesser-known histories of its seven later trips around the nation, when it served as a reminder of America s indomitable spirit in times of conflict. Drawing upon fascinating primary source documents, Nash s book continues a remarkable dialogue about a symbol of American patriotism second only in importance to the Stars and Stripes."

About the author