Start a Sounds of Liberty Event in Your Community
As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, I am sure all of us are thinking of ways to celebrate. How about organizing a bell ringing ceremony? The DSDI’s Sounds of Liberty program is a bell ringing ceremony where you ring a bell 13 times in commemoration of the 13 original states on the 4th of July.
There is more to the ceremony than just ringing a bell. Here are some things that you can do to make it more meaningful:
- Mention that there are reasons why we ring the bell. In 1963, Joint Congressional Resolution #25 was issued that states that people should organize a community bell ringing with a time set at 2 pm Eastern so that bells across the nation ring at the same time. This is why the DSDI Bell Tapping in Philadelphia at the Liberty Bell happens at 2 pm.
- Begin the ceremony with an invocation, then posting of the Colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, a short statement about why we ring the bell (or a keynote speaker), a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and finally, ring the bell. With each toll, read off the names of each state with the names of their signers. End the ceremony with a benediction.
- Get other genealogical societies involved, such as the local chapters of the SAR, DAR, and C.A.R., or a Scouting unit. Getting these groups involved will increase your crowds.
- Ideally, it would be great to use your state’s replica of the Liberty Bell, but finding a bell in your hometown is just as important. Many state replicas are in the capital. Not everyone will go to the state’s capital for the ceremony, but many would be more likely to attend a local ceremony.
- Try to get a notice in the local paper about the bell ringing ceremony.
-Bruce Laubach, Past President-General
The 57 Treasury Commissioned Liberty Bell Replicas
The Treasury Department created 57 replica Liberty Bells for the “Save Your Independence” bond drive in 1950. Bells were delivered to states, territories and the District of Columbia to support the bond program. The replica Liberty Bells weighs over 2,000 lbs and were cast to match the appearance and the tone when rung of the original Liberty Bell.
To see where your state’s replica Liberty Bell resides, visit this blog.
Previous Sounds of Liberty Events
Have you hosted, participated, or attended a Sounds of Liberty event? Let us know the details so we can add it to this page! Send an email to [email protected].
Yorktown, Virginia
Every Independence Day, after the reading of the Declaration of Independence, the York County Historical Museum holds a symbolic program that’s been a community tradition for decades. First comes an acknowledgment of all 13 colonies, and then the names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence are read. The Fifes and Drums of York Town kick off the event at the Riverwalk Landing Stage, and each year a different child from the audience is bestowed the special honor of ringing the bell. The ceremony, which begins at 7 pm, includes a Patriotic Concert.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Past President-General John Glynn coordinated a Sounds of Liberty ceremony on July 4, 2023, at New Mexico’s replica of the Liberty Bell. The bell is located on the New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque. More than 100 attended this year’s ceremony, which began with patriotic music from the Rio Grande Symphonic Band and was followed by the bell tapping at noon Mountain Time. Paul Mondragon, president of Bank of America New Mexico, read the Declaration of Independence, then members of the audience read the signer’s names, followed by a talk by New Mexico author Tomas Chaves, who spoke on Spain’s contributions to the American Revolution. Spanish flamenco dancing rounded out the celebration. The former U.S. Ambassador to Spain, Fred Romero from New Mexico, as well as Norma Ang, Consul of Mexico, were in attendance, plus local DAR and SAR members as well as Albuquerque residents and descendants from signers Richard Stockton and Thomas Nelson, Jr.