Anyone know how and when the Liberty Bell got cracked?

Answer 1

In 1752, the new bell arrived safely from England, but at the first blow from a hammer to test it, it cracked. Philadelphia bell founders recast the bell twice before it was finally ready to use.

On July 8, 1776, the bell rang to mark the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. On April 16, 1783, it announced the proclamation of peace after the Revolutionary War. At every event of national importance, the Liberty Bell rang: in 1789, the election of George Washington; in 1797, the election of John Adams; in 1799, the death of Washington; and in 1801, the election of Thomas Jefferson.

On July 4, 1826, the bell was nearly three quarters of a century old, and the nation was 50. Then, on July 8, 1835, while tolling for the funeral procession of John Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Court and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the bell cracked.

Fearing that the crack would eventually destroy the historic bell, officials ordered it taken down from the tower. It was after this that the Liberty Bell received its name. Since then, the bell has been on display but has never rung. The crack that appeared on that occasion is prevented from widening by a mechanical device, called a spider, installed inside the bell.

A few years ago, the bell foundry in London that originally cast the great bell made a friendly proposal — to ship the bell back to England, melt it and recast it at no cost to the United States. The keepers of the bell considered the offer very seriously before they decided that the cracked Liberty Bell is a cherished symbol of America's struggle for freedom. Therefore, on behalf of the American people, the officials thanked the London foundry for its generous offer but refused, adding: "We like the bell as it is, crack and all. It is an important part of our heritage."

Answer 2

Here is some information I found about the bell:

When did the Liberty Bell crack?

The original Bell received by the Whitechapel Foundry in 1752 cracked upon its very first strike. But, when the Liberty Bell, as we know it today, cracked is a much debated question...and a story with many renditions!

The Liberty Bell cracked because of the many materials it was made of, were not chemically compatible. The makers of the bell didn't know this, however, and thought that their new design would make it sturdier, instead of leading to its breaking.

Answer 3

There are conflicting stories as to the causes of the present bell becoming cracked:

One is that it cracked in 1835 while being tolled on the death of Chief Justice John Marshall of Virginia, and that in 1846 an attempt was made to restore the bell's tone by supporting the sides of the fracture, but this was to no avail. The story goes that it was tolled for the last time for Washington's birthday for, by then, the cracks had begun to spread.

Another story which gives more detail appeared in the Reading Eagle in 1911 and was told to the reporter by Emmanuel Joseph Rauch who was then about 86 years of age. He told how, when he was 10 years old in 1835, he was one day passing State House Square when the Steeple Keeper - whose name was Downing - called after him and several other boys, inviting them to ring the bell in honour of Washington's birthday. Downing tied a rope to the clapper of the bell and, thrusting the end of the rope into the hands of the eager boys, instructed them to pull with all their might. After 10 or 12 strokes, there was a change in the tone of the bell which Downing noticed as well and, after climbing into the steeple, found a crack 12" to 15" long, whereupon the boys were told to run along home.