By Ada Brownell
Excerpted from her book, God in American History
An express rider on a galloping horse brought the
news of the American Revolutionary War’s Battle of Lexington in Philadelphia on
April 24, 1775.
The
rope of the huge bell in the State House was yanked and the dongggggg,
donggggg, dongggg, dongggg, dongggg entered every
shop, crossed the greening fields to farmers behind horses and a plow, inside
to kitchens where women were baking bread and feeding children.
Each
person dropped his work and ran into town where the bell was still ringing when
they arrived in the Yard below the State House.
Eight thousand of them came.[1]
In
those days, there were no television news programs. Although there were
newspapers, it was hours before news in print could get to the people. The bell
told them something important was happening at that moment.
There
in the State House Yard that day, all 8,000 people called by the bell pledged
themselves to defend their lives, their property and their liberty against all
attempts by the British to take them away.
Although
cracked the first time it was rung -- broken by a stroke of its own tongue, or
clapper -- and recast, and still cracked and repaired, the Liberty Bell has a
great history.
The
bell called people to talk about taxes imposed on them by the British. It called out the good news when the Stamp
Act, a form of taxes, was repealed. But
more taxes came, such as a tax on imported tea.
The people wanted freedom from England. They boycotted, which means they
refused to buy imported products, and eventually they had the famous “Boston
Tea Party” where they dumped imported tea with tax on in into Boston Harbor.
The
Liberty Bell called people together for such things as unfurling of the first
national flag.
The
bell donggged and donggged at high noon on Monday July 8, 1776, when the first
Independence Day celebration began.
People believed its glorious music was proclaiming liberty throughout
all the land unto all the inhabitants. Other bells joined in harmony, and some
writers say the ground shook with the noise and there was no silent place at
all in Philadelphia that day. But
suddenly the metal stopped ringing and people stood silent as the first public
reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Yet,
the British wanted to capture Philadelphia and take away people’s freedom.
People continued to worship God in the way they wished. “Quakers” populated
much of Philadelphia, a religious denomination known today as the Religious
Society of Friends. They were nicknamed Quakers because of a saying by George
Fox, “Tremble at the Word of the Lord,” or from their habit of shaking with
emotion during their worship to God.[2]
The
Quakers met with violent persecution by the Church of England before they
immigrated to America. Many were put in
prison. In 1656, there were seldom less than 1,000 Quakers in prison. Children
continued the meetings when all the adults were locked up.
In
the New England the Quakers still met with persecution. Some were put in prison or flogged and driven
out of town. Four were hanged, including
a woman, Mary Dyer.
So
people, even in America, needed people to hear the bell’s message, “Proclaim
Liberty throughout the Land, to all the inhabitants thereof.”
The
new country was at war with the British, known as the “Redcoats.”
One
day the people realized if the British took control of the Liberty Bell, it
would be melted and made into bullets. So the bell -- and all bells in public
buildings and churches -- were taken down and hidden.
The
Liberty Bell --- then called the Independence Bell -- was moved to Allentown,
where it was tucked away under the floor of Zion Reformed Church.
But
there was no battle in Philadelphia. By autumn, the bell was back. But it
announced no celebrations until Oct. 24, 1881 when it was yanked and yanked to
announce the surrender of Cornwallis and the end of the Revolutionary War.
The
records says, “The bell was rung at 12 o’clock this day to announce to the
people the surrender of Cornwallis to the Confederate arms of the United States
and France -- a day of the most intense interest, joy and rejoicing of the
people. The standard of the state was
hoisted to the peak of the belfry over the State House. Four pieces of artillery responded to the
pealing of the Bell and all the city bells answered.[3]
At
last there was a formal proclamation of peace and the War of Independence ended
in 1783. The bell at last could ring and announce freedom was accomplished.
The
bell was rung at the opening session of the federal convention in 1783, and the
ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
It
rang at George Washington’s birthday party, and cracked again, even after being
repaired.
Because
of the role it played, the Liberty Bell became the symbol of freedom.
But
the words on it, “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the
inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10) weren’t accepted by everyone.
Even
some of the early settlers of this country were not ready to hear that message.
As one author said, “All right to quote the Bible, but to act accordingly would
be a most disquieting idea.”[4]
Today,
men and women still try to limit our freedom, even freedom of worship.
It
is up to me and you to proclaim liberty throughout the land today, because the
Liberty Bell is silent. It is on display
now at Independence Hall in Washington, D.C.
Tour guides will tell you the bell’s story, but its
message now needs tongues of flesh.
We
now must ring the news of liberty across the land, and use that liberty to tell
others they can live forever if they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s
the greatest news anyone can hear.
Copyright Ada Brownell 2016
[1]Old Liberty Bell, by Frances
Rogers and Alice Beard, J.B. Lippincott Company, New York, 1942.
[2]Encyclopedia Americana
[3]Old Liberty Bell
[4]Old Liberty Bell, page 24.
