The bell acquired its distinctive large crack some time in the early 19th century-a widespread story claims it cracked while ringing after the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835.
The bell became famous after an 1847 short story claimed that an aged bellringer rang it on July 4, 1776, upon hearing of the Second Continental Congress's vote for independence. Although the bell did not ring for independence on that July 4, the tale was widely accepted as fact, even by some historians.
