At first, I was like, how was it the “Liberty” bell if we just proclaimed independence? It turns out that the bell was commissioned in 1752 and originally was hung in the steeple of what is now known as Independence Hall. But, did you know this is the second bell? Pass and Stow, two (relatively inexperienced) locals, took the original bell (which was cracked), melted it down, and recast it, using copper to reinforce it. The Pass and Stow bell was first called the “Liberty Bell” in 1835 in an anti-slavery journal.