Primary Source: The Liberty Bell

      Freedom and liberty continued to echo throughout history even after the days like the Boston massacre. With it's shouts getting louder, the complexity of freedom grew amongst many groups that had long kept their screams inside. The liberty has long since been known to symbolize freedom and has remained a linkage to the origins of reform of the United States. It's symbolism became extremely powerful for the abolitionists during the reformation period against slavery as it was printed on this banner to exude the powerful message of freedom for all, despite their color or race.

"The liberty Bell, later one of the nation's most venerated emblems of freedom, did not acheive that status until abolitionist adopted it as a symbol and gave it its name, as party of an effort to identify their principles with those of the founders." Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty

      Again, we see another simple use of an image to create a loud and powerful message sent across the nation. Although the original means of the liberty bell may have not been created to support the movement of anti-slavery, it played a major role in the hearts of many screaming for equality and freedom. The bell was printed on the banner (as seen above) and abolitionist adopted this form of speech in order to campaign the extension of freedom not just for the white men in America, but to the black Americans who had been there for as long as they have. At the beginning of the antislavery movement, visuals of freedom were being adopted in order to make an impact and sway those that hadn't been involved yet with the efforts.

 "In retrospect, it is a remarkably apt metaphor for a country literally cracked and freedom fissured for its black inhabitants." Independence Hall Association, The Liberty Bell

        Just as the Boston Massacre picture I talked about in the first blog post, the depiction of the bell on the banner was enabled a messaged to be carried across the nation. Furthermore, the liberty is an actual object that is located in Liberty Hall in Pennsylvania, and rumored to have rang while the first reading of the Declaration of Independence happened. This enabled what was once known as the "Old State House Bell", to have more meaning to every person living in America. It's significance has created a permanent mark in history and to this day, not one American has missed the introduction to the liberty bell. It being a national symbol, there have been many more prints that include the historical bell.
      American independence was a continuous battle that has been fought for decades in many different shapes and forms. From the liberation and separation of England, the fight had only just began. After America had won it's independence, the battle cries for freedom grew even more as citizens realized their human right to be a part of the country just as the next man that he had fought along side with. As the quest for independence grew, the idea of freedom became even more engraved in the country's underlying purpose.
      Today, the liberty bell can been seen in the baseball park located in the Philly's stadium. Although not used the same way as it had been in the past, the outline bell will light up every time a home run is hit by it's hometown player representing a great achievement or representation of liberation from the other team's defeat.  Even more significant, the liberty bell has made it's way onto the United State's silver dollar. Freedom and equality still remains the heart of the United States and the reason it was built. It also continues the strive to keep these qualities, which makes it stand apart from the rest of the world.



Works Cited

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: Norton & Company Inc., 2009. Print.

Hartnett, Kevin. "The Liberty Bell." American History 45.5 (2010): 70. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. 

Independence Hall Association. "The Liberty Bell." Independence Hall Association. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.

<http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell>

"Liberty Bell". Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.