![The Justice Bell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/The_Justice_Bell.jpg)
The Justice Bell (''The Women's Liberty Bell'', also known as the Woman's Suffrage Bell)
is a replica of the
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...
made in 1915. It was created to promote the cause for
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
in the United States from 1915 to 1920. The bell is on permanent display at the
Washington Memorial Chapel
Washington Memorial Chapel — located on Pennsylvania Route 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park — is both a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania ...
in
Valley Forge National Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, taking place from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site a ...
in Pennsylvania.
Casting and design
The Justice Bell was commissioned by suffragist
Katharine Wentworth Ruschenberger
Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.
In the early Chris ...
in 1915 and was cast by the
Meneely Bell Foundry
The Meneely Bell Foundry was a bell foundry established in 1826 in West Troy (now Watervliet), New York, by Andrew Meneely. Two of Andrew's sons continued to operate the foundry after his death, while a third son, Clinton H. Meneely, opened a se ...
in
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...
and cost $2,000. The Justice Bell is a
replica
A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...
of the
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...
, with a few minor design differences. The Justice Bell does not have a crack, and the words, "establish JUSTICE" were added on the top line of the inscription. Also, the Liberty Bell was cast in London, and the Justice Bell was cast in Troy, New York.
The inscription on the Justice Bell reads:
establish JUSTICE
Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof
Meneeley Bell Co
Troy, NY
MCMXV
Suffrage awareness tours and the 19th Amendment
In an effort to raise awareness for women's suffrage, the bell went on a 5,000-mile tour in 1915, visiting all 67
Pennsylvania counties
The following is a list of the 67 counties of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The city of Philadelphia is coterminous with Philadelphia County, the municipalities having been consolidated in 1854, and all remaining county government functions hav ...
, on the bed of a modified pickup truck.
The bell's clapper was chained to its side as a symbol of how women were being silenced by being unable to vote. The truck carried a sign with the slogan of the suffragist moment:
"Votes for Women", a phrase coined by
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
as the title of his famous speech in 1901.
Flyers stating the tour's mission were handed out to spectators. An excerpt reads:
The Woman's Liberty Bell - "Liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof" was the message of The Liberty Bell of 1776. It proclaimed the birth of a new nation "DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION THE GOVERNMENTS DERIVE THEIR POWER FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED" AND THAT "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION IS TYRNNY." Today, fifty million of these inhabitants are women ... The new bell is the Women's Liberty Bell, which is to ring for the first time on the day that the Women of Pennsylvania are granted the right to vote ...The Liberty bell 1776 rang to "Proclaim Liberty" to create our nation "The Woman's Liberty Bell" will ring to establish justice to complete our nation. Help break the chains that hold the bronze clapper silent Vote "Yes" on the Suffrage Amendment on Election Day Pennsylvania
Ruschenberger, Louise Hall,
Ruza Wenclawska
Ruza Wenclawska (December 15, 1889 – 1977), more widely known as Rose Winslow and later as Rose Lyons by marriage, was a Polish-American suffragist, factory inspector and trade union organizer. She was a dedicated member of the National Woman' ...
, and Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association leader
Hannah J. Patterson
Hannah Jane Patterson (November 5, 1879 – August 21, 1937) was an American suffragist and social activist. She was a key member of the women's suffrage movement in Pennsylvania and worked for the National American Woman Suffrage Association. D ...
were among the women to accompany the Justice Bell on its tour which kicked off in
Sayre, Pennsylvania on June 23, 1915.
Louise Hall served as the tour director.
They were met by large crowds, marching bands, and parades everywhere they went. The reception was particularly notable in large cities such as New York City and Philadelphia. On October 22, 1915, the bell was welcomed to Philadelphia, joining in a parade of 8000 people, witnessed by a crowd of 100,000 people.
Anna Howard Shaw
Anna Howard Shaw (February 14, 1847 – July 2, 1919) was a leader of the women's suffrage movement in the United States. She was also a physician and one of the first ordained female Methodist ministers in the United States.
Early life
Shaw ...
's ''Yellow Suffrage'' automobile also appeared in the procession. The parade on
Broad Street led to a ceremony held at the
Academy of Music, which was attended by many dignitaries.
The bell also traveled to other states in 1920 to raise awareness for the
19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which would give women the right to vote. The Justice Bell was taken to the first national convention of the
Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (National Women's Party) in Washington, D.C. It was also present at the national suffrage convention in Chicago.
The
19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. The Justice Bell was sounded at a celebration ceremony led by Katherine Wentworth Ruschenberger was held on Independence Square, behind
Independence Hall in Philadelphia on September 25, 1920. Ruschenberger's niece, Katharine Wentworth, released the Justice Bell from silence before a large crowd that had gathered on the south side of Independence Hall. Two of
Susan B. Anthony's nieces were among the many dignitaries in attendance. The bell rang 48 times, once for every state in the union at that time.
Post 19th Amendment
* Beginning in 1920, the Justice Bell has been stored on the grounds of
Valley Forge National Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, taking place from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site a ...
, after being denied a permanent installation on
Independence Mall. Beginning in 1943, per Katherine Wentworth Ruschenberger's will, the Justice Bell permanently resides in the chamber of the National Patriots Bell Tower at the
Washington Memorial Chapel
Washington Memorial Chapel — located on Pennsylvania Route 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park — is both a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania ...
in
Valley Forge National Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, taking place from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site a ...
.
* In April 1995, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...
of Pennsylvania, the Justice Bell traveled again. It was displayed in the rotunda of the
Pennsylvania State Capitol
The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania located in downtown Harrisburg which was designed by architect Joseph Miller Huston in 1902 and completed in 1906 in a Beaux-Arts style with decorative ...
building in Harrisburg for a week and then at the
State Museum of Pennsylvania
The State Museum of Pennsylvania is a non-profit museum at 300 North Street in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is run by the state through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and was created to preserve and interpret the region ...
, before embarking on a yearlong anniversary tour of Pennsylvania. On August 22, 1996, the Justice Bell returned to Washington Memorial Chapel, where it remains on public exhibition.
* In 2015, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Justice Bell,
Independence National Historical Park unveiled an exhibit titled "Independence Hall & Votes for Women" in the
Liberty Bell Center
The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...
, located on
Independence Mall.
* On September 13, 2015, during a celebration of its 100th anniversary held at the
Washington Memorial Chapel
Washington Memorial Chapel — located on Pennsylvania Route 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park — is both a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania ...
, the Justice Bell was ceremoniously rung and its clapper was symbolically unchained.
See also
* ''
Freedom Bell, American Legion'' in Washington DC
*
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...
References
External links
www.JusticeBell.comLeague of Women Voters of PennsylvaniaThe State Museum of Pennsylvnia
{{Suffrage
1915 in the United States
1915 sculptures
Individual bells in the United States
Liberty symbols
Monuments and memorials in Pennsylvania
Women's suffrage in the United States