(patriotic music) - [Narrator] How did the Liberty Bell get its crack?

There's a myth that the bell tolled on July 4, 1776 to declare national independence, and that's when it received its famous crack.

But historians say there's no evidence to support this claim.

The large crack in the bell today is actually the repair job.

Metal workers widened the crack to stop the spreading.

Originally called the State House Bell, the bell has been cracked and repaired multiple times, but it's been silent for almost 180 years for fear of further damage.

After the Revolution, the inscription on the bell that reads, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," became a rallying cry for abolitionists fighting to end slavery.

In the late 1800s, the Liberty Bell toured the US on display, cementing its fame and name.

The bell would later remind post-Civil War America of when they fought together in the Revolution.