History In the City of Philadelphia

By historyinthecity

  • The Liberty Bell was Made

    Liberty Bell
    John Pass and John Stow cast the Bell in 1753 Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof Lev. XXV X
    By Order of the ASSEMBLY of the Province of PENSYLVANIA [sic] for the State House in Philada Pass and Stow
    Philada
    MDCCLIII (1753)
    That was the inscription on the Bell.

  • Lafayette Visits the Bell

    Lafayette
    The Marquis de Lafayette was only 19 years old in 1777 when he volunteered to fight in the American Revolution. In 1824 he returned to the United States on a triumphal tour around the country. His visit created a resurgence in pride and interest in the American Revolution.
    There was no mention of a crack.

  • The Cracking of the Bell

    The Crack
    The volunteer curator of Independence Hall, Colonel Frank Etting, announced that he had discovered that the bell had cracked in 1835, while it was tolling for the funeral procession of Chief Justice John Marshall. Although widely accepted, this claim was never documented.

  • Old Flag House Bought

    The Daily Star, Fredricksburg, VAAfter seven years of fundraising, American Flag Association and Betsy Ross Memorial Association paid off debt of $25,000, "aided by the dimes of 1,000,000 people" on home known as "old flag house." On Flag Day 1906 they plan to turn the site over to the government

  • Betsy Ross House turned over to Federal Government

    The Evening News, San Jose CA House to be maintained as a memorial and a musuem of colonial and revolutionary America.

  • OK joins Union necessitating new flag

    OK joins Union necessitating new flag
    Meriden Morning Record, Meriden CTArticle about admission of Oklahoma as a state including illustration of Betsy Ross house with signage " "Birthplace of Old Glory. open to the public" and described as "where Ross made the first official Flag for the United States."

  • Former NY Governor Al Smith delivers radio address from Betsy Ross house

    AReading (PA) Eagle Article on patriotic events at Betsy Ross house, described as the "newly restored" "red brick Ross house on historic Arch Street, almost within stone's throw of Independence Hall, where the nation was born." Highlight event is radio broadcast of Al Smith's speech to expected audience of 100,000 members of Chamber of Commerce who sponsored event.

  • Exhumation of body believe to be Betsy Ross

    Milwaukee Journal Report of exhumation of body believed to be Betsy Ross' from the Mount Mariah cemetary in Philadelphia for reuburial at the Betsy Ross House, described as the house where Ross "legend says" made the first flag. 1 photograph