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Click the link to hear New York's Sound of Liberty!
- Real Audio Format
- .wav format (52K)
It is called a liberty bell because it sounded on July 9, 1776, heralding the news of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
This was the first time that Washington's troops, stationed in New York, heard the news! It is older than the famed Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
It was cast in Amsterdam, arrived here by ship, transported by ox cart to Middle Church, and rigged in 1731.
The bell rang out when George Washington was inaugurated President
Has tolled the inauguration and death of every President since
Tolled during the funerals of other important Americans, including
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy.
Middle placed the bell in hiding when the British occupied the City of New York. After the war, the bell was restored to the belfry. It was later moved to the new building on Lafayette Street.
The belfry of that building was destroyed in a storm; consequently the bell was transferred to the St. Nicholas Collegiate Church.
When that building was razed in 1949, the bell ceremoniously came back home to Middle at its present Second Avenue location. |
