The Liberty Bell

 

I see no other reasonable interpretation of the L and bell combination in the middle bottom of Image 4 than an allusion to the Liberty Bell. It even bears the distinctive shape of the famous bell. So the question becomes, what could it possibly have to do with this puzzle? It’s a clear reference and not hidden in any way. It must be significant, though it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the location of the casque. I quickly learned, while researching its history, that I didn’t know squat about the bell. 

On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell is said to have been rung in the tower of Independence Hall to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon. Some historians question if the bell was actually rung on this date, as the bell and tower were in disrepair at the time. We likely will never know for sure. The inscription on the bell is a Biblical reference (Leviticus 25:10) and reads:

PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF

The bell was originally ordered by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges (Pennsylvania’s original Constitution).  The Charter describes rights and freedoms of all people. Penn’s ideas on religious freedom, Native American rights, and the inclusion of citizens in enacting laws were unprecedented at the time. The bell cracked when first tested and had to be melted down and recast twice before it could be used. 

The popularity of the bell can be traced back to an 1847 fictional story written by George Lippard for The Saturday Currier, titled “Ring, Grandfather! Ring!,” in which an elderly man waits in the State House steeple for a decision from Congress, hoping to ring in American independence.

Just as the old man begins to doubt that Congress will follow through, his grandson, who had been eavesdropping at the doors of the State House, yells, “Ring, Grandfather! Ring!”

Surprisingly, the name “Liberty Bell” wasn’t coined until the 1830’s when the anti-slavery movement adopted it as a symbol of freedom. It is interesting how our perception of a thing changes over time, sometimes far exceeding its original purpose, sometimes becoming part of history over and over again.

As captivating and surprising as the history of the Liberty Bell was to me, it is not, generally speaking, a secret. This clue must, therefore, play into the secret of The Secret, but not be the secret itself. Maybe its purpose is simply to bring to mind the city of Philadelphia or its vicinity.