Poll Answers

1)How many times did Liberty Bell crack?
B)Twice times: Once on being tested, the next Washington's Birthday

2)When did the first Bell finally come far from repair?
B)George Washington's Birthday

3)Who fixed Liberty Bell?
A)Whitechapel Foundry: It was sent back after John Pass and John Stow failed twice, they didn't succeed either
B)John Pass: with John Stow, they fixed it twice before giving it to Whitechapel Foundry to fix. They tried the third time.
C)John Stow: with John Pass

4)Why was the Bell created?
B) As a symbol of Anti-Slavery
C) As a symbol of Freedom
D)50-year anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges

5)How many names did Liberty Bell have?
F)7

Why is there the Liberty Bell?

Teacher-Open your text books to page one-ten.

[Students search desks, taking out their text books, pages rustling]

Teacher-Read up to page one-twenty.

[Complains roused up the room. Soon everyone quieted down and only the fan's whirling hummed in the room]

[The teacher sat in her desk, took a drink of the melting iced water. She fanned herself with a folder]

*Few minutes later*

Teacher-Ok, kids, if you didn't finish you'll read it for homework-

[Interrupted by students groaned]

[Teacher grins] Teacher-Oh, ok, so one homework is too little for you. I guess I'll throw in Math
Skills book pages-

Students-No!

[Teacher nods pleasantly] Teacher-I would've thought so. Now would some like to tell me what the passage was about?

[Students look bored and sweaty, none raise their hands]

Teacher- Fine. I'll choose for you.

[Teacher searches the faces of students. Her eyes lay on a boy who's eyes she noticed had been wondering throughout the class the whole time]

Teacher- Jake, what did you read?

[Jake looked at the teacher blanked faced]-I didn't read anything...

[Teacher about to speak]

[Hotly Jake adds]-Why do we have to read this anyway? It's the past, it's done and gone...and it’s boring.

[The teacher was not surprised with the response]Teacher-It may seem like that but our past is much the same as our future. Without it nothing would have happened, what happened on the past made up now and what is going to happen in the future.

Jake-But Ms. West, if we keep going to the past we will never progress to the future.

Teacher-Quite the opposite Jake, if we didn't look into the past we would keep making the same mistakes that our ancestors have done.

[Jake rolls eyes]-Like what?

Teacher-There's quite a few mistakes that the men and women in the past made, since we are in the seventeen-fifty's, I'll explain. There is John Pass and Stow, if they didn't look into the past they would have done the same mistake they did when they tried to fix Liberty Bell.

Jake-Why did they even make the Bell? It just ended to be broken, no one uses it anymore, why not throw it away?

Teacher-Good God! Throw it away! Liberty Bell was more than any ordinary bell! Liberty bell was symbol for--ironically despite its name-- was a symbol for Anti-slavery. If Isaac Norris, back then didn't take action into making this bell for the State House and for so many reasons, Jake you and your family might still be treated the way slaves were treated. Just because of their color. I would be kept as a slave even.

[The class was silent for a few minutes]

Jake-Ms. West, if that’s the reason why is it called Liberty Bell?

Teacher-It's called Liberty Bell because over the years from being a present to celebrate the fifty year anniversary of William Penn's seventeen-oh-one Charter of Privileges to a anti-slavery symbol. During its time it was turned into a symbol of hope for freedom. How it got its reputation I am unsure of...maybe if you read the text book you'd find the answer to that. How about it? You have until the end of class.

[Jake's head fell into the book. He started to read]

Glossary

If you have any words that you think you might not know or that others might not know, comment on this post of which words are unclear.


Earnestness - noun-

1.	serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker.

2.	showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty.

3.	seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention.

4.	full seriousness, as of intention or purpose: to speak in earnest.

Obtained from Dictionary.com

Poem Review

"There was a tumult in the city In the quaint old Quaker town, And the streets were rife with people Pacing restless up and down- People gathering at corners, Where they whispered each to each, And the sweat stood on their temples With the earnestness of speech.

As the bleak Atlantic currents Lash the wild Newfoundland shore, So they beat against the State House, So they surged against the door; And the mingling of their voices Made the harmony profound, Till the quiet street of Chestnut Was all turbulent with sound.

"Will they do it?" "Dare they do it?" "Who is speaking?" "What’s the news?" "What of Adams?" "What of Sherman?" "Oh, God grant they won’t refuse!" "Make some way there!" "Let me nearer!" "I am stifling!" "Stifle then! When a nation’s life’s at hazard, We’ve no time to think of men!"

So they surged against the State House, While all solemnly inside, Sat the Continental Congress, Truth and reason for their guide, O’er a simple scroll debating, Which, though simple it might be, Yet should shake the cliffs of England With the thunders of the free.

Far aloft in that high steeple Sat the bellman, old and gray, He was weary of the tyrant And his iron-sceptered sway; So he sat with one hand ready On the clapper of the bell, When his eye could catch the signal, The long expected news to tell.

See! See! The dense crowd quivers Through all its lengthy line, As the boy beside the portal Hastens forth to give the sign! With his little hands uplifted, Breezes dallying with his hair, Hark! with deep, clear intonation, Breaks his young voice on the air.

Hushed the people’s swelling murmur, Whilst the boy crys joyously; "Ring!" he shouts, "Ring, Grandpa, Ring! Oh, ring for Liberty!" Quickly, at the given signal The old bellman lifts his hand, Forth he sends good news, making Iron music through the land.

How they shouted! What rejoicing! How the old bell shook the air, Till the clang of freedom ruffled, The calmly gliding Delaware! How the bonfires and the torches Lighted up the night’s repose, And from the flames, like fables Phoenix, Our glorious liberty arose!

That old State House bell is silent, Hushed is now its clamorous tongue; But the spirit it awakened Still is living-ever young; And when we greet the smiling sunlight On the fourth of each July, We will ne’er forget the bellman Who, betwixt the earth and sky, Rung out, loudly, "Independence"; Which, please God, shall never die!"

This poem had importance the way it was. This poem explained why the bell rang and what did it stand for. Although I already said what the Liberty Bell is for, this explains the excitement the people of Pennsylvania on July fourth, the day that our Independence was spread out to the public. The poem even sounds like it was explaining the newly borne freedom that they obtained. Liberty Bell was just the notification of their new start of a brand new beginning

Liberty Bell (Obituary)

No more than bronze copper, tin, small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver, it was the symbol that stood up for, the ironic message of anti-slavery and abolitionists attempt to be a slave free nation and for Proclaiming "Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof..." Liberty Bell's reason still roams with us today.

Liberty Bell was the joy of knowing that our independence was officially ours. It lived out to be ninety-four years out old before the hairline crack took away all its chance to ring again in proud song of our now free land. Liberty Bell suffered so many injuries from rough handling, being re-casted with too much copper, re-casted again, and another recast, until at final ring on February 22, 1846 did the crack become far from repair for our dear Liberty Bell.

Liberty Bell still has its purpose even though it hasn't rung over one hundred and sixty-two years. Still in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, may Liberty Bell's spiritual ring ring forever.

Word Find: "Bell Find"

Welcome. How good are your eyes? How fast is your brain? Can you find these words? Find the words below. See how fast you can find them. Compete against your friends. Who can find the words first? Near the due date the answers will be revealed. Please excuse the messed up formation

Bell Find

Q Z W G F E I Q N W P Y G M J X O R L D
W J H W J O H N S T O W E H Y I L U W J
B B A H Q L A H U G V J O D G V F E X B
R Z Y I Y S D K F E M I R U K B L E Z A

A D Z T F T K J M H J E G O A R I L V E
I N S E W A E O I J Z I E X S P B I B B
H K U C R T H H W R K S W Y E I E B O E
P V Z H M E F N G D O A A P L R R E B B
L D C A F H Q P A N O A S L R I T R F M
E G Q P B O I A G I A C H V A Y Y T G S
D C D E Y U O S O S I N I V H J B Y Q T
A L R L V S V S V A N O N B C R E Y X O
L S Q F Q E N Q U G A R G A T D L E B I
I C K O R B D Q G Q V R T Y R D L L O S
H H S U I E F G P F L I O Z E J K L L D
P G K N N L N K U P Y S N W B N V N D R
U N W D W L H C V N S W O P O R T D B D
K O D R K F Q Z T F N M F W R T X F E M
B D Z Y D R L N L F E C Y E X D S P L L
D P U R M F K K P Z P G J X G Q M H L J


LIBERTY BELL/ JOHN PASS/ WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY/
JOHN STOW/ ISAAC NORRIS/ STATEHOUSE BELL/

ROBERT CHARLES/ GEORGE WASHINGTON/ PENSYLVANIA/
OLD BELL/ PHILADELPHIA/ OLD LIBERTY BELL/

P.S I'M SORRY IF THE FORMAT WAS MESSED UP BY BLOGGER. SOLVE IT IF AS WELL AS YOU CAN.

How Many Names?(Feature Article)

There is one name that we commonly use for the Bell that has been featured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Liberty Bell has been with us since 1751. During back then and now, Liberty Bell wasn't always Liberty Bell. In fact, it actually has seven different names.

Starting from November 1752, that's when the bell was made, the bell was known as "State House Bell." So formally named for it was made to be placed in The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the bell for the State House. It was also made in merit of the 50-year anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges. The next name was most popular around 1852; it was then called the "Old State House Bell". After Seventy-five years it seemed fitting to the bell.

It was in 1846 through estimated 1854 that the bell started to be known as the "Old Independence Bell". Old Independence Bell was the bell's title until 1848, and so was "Old Bell" and "Bell of Independence". "Old Bell", however continued on through to 1884.

"Old Liberty Bell" was later picked up around 1877. Go back a few years, in 1839 then ending back in 1893, the name we now use--"Liberty Bell" was adapted. From 1893 we come to now the present with the name "Liberty Bell".

The story behind Liberty Bell's many names has been unveiled from under the giant text book.

Polls

On the right hand panel, there will be trivia questions related to my topic--Liberty Bell. This genre was adapted from seeing it been used in many other blogs, so i decided to use it too.
Now, mind you, if you haven't read the blog then you would mostly likely get the question wrong. Unless you have studied this topic before then of course this would be easy. So before the due date to the project I shall post up the correct answer to the polls. Good luck.

To Robert Charles Colonial Agent of the Province of Pensylvania

Dear Robert,

I was so shocked when the beautiful bell that your smith, Thomas Lister of the Whitechapel Foundry, made had cracked on its first ring. I had the mortification to hear that it was cracked by a stroke of the clapper without any other violence as it was hung up to try the sound. We have just sent Thomas to find someone who would fix the bell for a reasonable price. You know the men here, trying to chip us off to get the highest bid, such a shame. Anyway, you must know that this bell was in fact what we needed for the State House. I say thank that smith of yours. God speed to your return, and may he look over you.

From Isaac Norris.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Dear Robert,


Lovely news. Thomas has found two Pennsylvanian men to do recast the bell. They are John Pass and John Stow. Thank lord for their appearance. They have accepted to the pay of slightly over 36 pounds to fix the bell. I hope that the bell will be ready in time to ring on, I believe, July eighth, to summon the town to hear Colonel John Nixon. He says he has a great joy to tell us. Once I have more news on the recasting of the Bell I will happily tell you. For now I leave you with good wishes.

From, Isaac Norris


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Measurements Make The Bell

As Robert ruffled through his papers that were on his desk, the door to his study opened quietly. He didn't take notice until a young man cleared his throat.

Robert toke a quick peek at who it was. Seeing it was the Colonels servant he went back to his work. "What is it Peter?"

Peter noticed Robert's inpatients, hastily he responded, "There's a letter for you, from Philadelphia..."

"Is it important? I absolutely can not be fiddling around with letters of utmost importance to me. I am to busy for that. Leave me." Robert waved in a shooing motion. Writing furiously his elegant script appeared to be struggling to keep up with his quill.

"But Sir, it is from the Assembly!"

Robert put down his quill, "Give it to me." After he received the letter from Peter, he gave a quick: "Thank you."

"A pleasure." Rushing out he gave a respectful bow.

Robert looked at the insignia sealing the letter. Indeed it belonged to the Assembly. It read:

November 1st, Addressed to Robert Charles, Colonial Agent of the Province of Pensylvania. Isaac Norris, Assembly Speaker and the Chairman of the State House Superintendents asks the Assembly's agent in London, Robert Charles, to buy a bell. Charles, the State of Pensylvania has come to the decision of purchasing a bell to institute in the State House. It shall commission 150 Pounds 13 shillings 8 pence including insurance and shipping to obtain this bell from Whitechapel Foundry. Once you have decided on whether or not the price is fair enough to have a bell made, the properties of the bell will be of use to you. They are on the very bottom of this letter.

Signed, Isaac Norris, Thomas Leech, and Edward Warner.

Robert folded up the letter. Forgetting his previous work, he stood up grabbed his coat and bustled out the door. He responded in hasty replies to the men that greeted him. Outside his carriage awaited him to get inside.

"Whitechapel Foundry, please."

"Right away sir."

~~~~~~~~~

"What you are saying is that they will pay 35 pounds to have this bell made?" A chubby man, with bright pink cheeks said in pleasure.

"Yes, they would. Here is what they want the bell to be formed into." Robert took out the letter and showed it to the man.

"'Seventy percent copper, twenty-five percent tin, small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver'." He took a quick look at Robert. "'The bell should hold the circumference around the lip, twelve feet. The circumference around the crown, seven feet and six inches, height over the crown: two feet, three inches. Thickness at lip three inches…'" The man looked directly at Robert, "They really want this well don't they?"

Robert nodded impatiently, "Yes, they do, now read on Thomas."

Thomas grumbled and read on, "'Thickness at the crown, no than one and one fourth of an inch. The clapper should be, in length, three feet and two inches. Wood to be used for the yoke shall be American Elm.'" He didn't bother reading the inscription to be engraved in the bell. "Well Robert, I best start working on this bell. I warn you now before hand, it'll take me quiet a while to complete this er, big order."

"Then Thomas, I'll leave you to work. Thank you for your time." Robert slipped his coat on and went out the door. The hiss of metals melting against each other and the clang of hammer against ore thumped against the closed door.

~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas whipped the sticky sweat off his forehead. The blazing furnace made the beads of sweat come down faster and thicker.

He took out the letter from the pocket on his apron. 70 percent copper, yes done. Mmhmm done, done...circumference--sigh yes, done. Ah where am I going to get American elm? Well worry about that later, now the curve here--Thomas's thoughts were interrupted by the sizzle of the furnace. Molding the ore into the shape of the bell, his hands worked quickly before the bell could dry and harden. He looked at the letter, smiling to himself. "Looks right to me."

He stepped back to look at the glistening bell.

The Story of the Crack(News Article)

By Jessica Sanchez

"The crack on Liberty Bell wasn't even that big before. More so it was no wider than a strand of hair." Historians have gushed about this mere crack, ready to see the 'mere' story of the crack?

The last time liberty Bell last rung, researchers say could've been 1817 and some time between 1846."Most likely it cracked somewhere near the years 1841 and 1845. The day can be guessed that it cracked during the ringing for George Washington's birthday or on July 4th." Historians calculated this and obtained the dates referenced from "The Story of the Liberty Bell" by David Kimball. But the most popular date of when it was cracked is 1835, traced back to a story told by Col. Frank Etting, a volunteer curator of Independence Hall in during the centennial celebration in 1876. This story was when the bell was ringing in memory of Col. John Marshall, the day of his funeral. Yet this story didn't have any publications that supported this claim between 1835 and 1876. Liberty Bell was about ninety years old when it cracked.

The one thing that distinguishes our famous Liberty Bell from any normal bell is the dog leg "crack". This dog leg "crack" is 1/2 inches wide and 24.5 inches long. Really, this crack was barely visible unless you saw it up close, Honor America research party reported. It was no bigger than a strand of hair, this thin sized crack got bigger when they put two rivets in the crack to make the two sides stop vibrating against each other. These rivets helped temporally fix the bells, E flat tone, in time for--as story and most logical theory says--for George Washington's birthday (which is on February 22, 1846). "It gave out clear notes and loud... until noon, when it received a sort of compound fracture in a zigzag direction through one of its sides, which put it completely out of tune..." - Public Ledger, Feb. 26, 1846.

The Bell is Made

Once being born, ready to sing
Stayed in its home
Sweet London Whitechapel Foundry
Lived in 1752
Brought to Philadelphia to be praised
On a warm August day
It was said, sweet bell rang out
Singing hello to a new world
To long did it sing
At once its voice cracked
Leaving it useless

It died
Barely One years old it did,

Now here's a surprise
It woke to see through different eyes
Yet it knew it was the same inside
It sang again, quietly though
Afraid it might crack
It's voice low and husky made everyone shake their heads
Too low, they said, too deep
1753, they melted it down
Once again drowned in a alluring sleep

As it awoke, it heard
Too bad, it cracked
Too bad, too much copper
As it came fully aware
Everyone had their eyes on it
Now it knew what not to do
Not to croak
Not to sing too low
But let to it out and...
Aloud came a beautiful voice
Dong!
It echoed far and wide
Not to sharp yet not too low-
Dong!
-it was a perfect show

1753, Liberty Bell is my name and I plan to sing
'Till I am brought down


Reflection- As I was writing this poem, I tried to focus on keeping the poem stuck only on the times it cracked. It was not at all hard like I thought it would be, instead it was fairly easy. Pointing at the reason that really all I had to do is make the information interesting. (Not that it is, but I hope it was), I planted the poem as a personification poem. The reason I think that it could pass as a personification poem is because of the poem directing the thought of Liberty Bell being born and that it died and that the Bell was singing. At the end it even talks. I don't think that this is one of my best written poems, but I am not disappointed in it nor that proud of this poem.

Colonel John Nixon

Name: John Nixon
Place Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1733)
Place Died: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Decemember 31, 1808)
Father: Richard Nixon
Mother: Sarah Bowles
Education: Tought in the form of a merchant instead of the normal school setting.
Life: He inherited the bussiness of shipping imported goods in 1749. He came into public affairs leading to the descion of being elecleted as the Lieutant of the Dock Ward Company in 1756. He became a warden of the the port in 1766. He also was the maneger of a Pennsylvanian hospital, he was one of the signers for paper money.
Importance in History: John Nixon was the Lieutenant-Colonel in the Third Battalion of Associators in the war between, Trenton and Princeton.
Importance to Liberty Bell: Liberty Bell rung in attendence to meet at the square to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Bibliography

Websites:

"Facts and Figures about the Liberty Bell." United States Citizens Allying Together. Date Not
Found http://www.unitedstatescat.info/AmericanHistory/LibertyBell/Fact%20FoundtsandFiguresabouttheLibertyBell/tabid/146/Default.aspx

"Liberty Bell." Independence Hall Association. Date Not Found
http://www.ushistory.org/LibertyBell/index.html

"Liberty Bell." UAOC. Date Not Found

http://www.uaoc.org/fourth/libertybell.html

"Liberty Bell Timeline." Honor America Inc. 10/6/2007
http://home.att.net/~honorAmerica/libertybell/history/belltimeline.htm#bell_names

"Honor America." Honor America inc. 10/6/2007
http://home.att.net/~honorAmerica/libertybell/history/bellfacts.htm

"John Nixon (1733-1808)." University of Pennsylvania. Date not Found
http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/people/nixon_john.html

"The Liberty Bell." Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Date Not found
http://www.whitechapelbellfoundry.co.uk/liberty.htm

Primary Sources:



Dodge, Mapes, Mary. The Liberty Bell. Boston: Samuel May, Catalogue of anti-slavery, 1851

Whipple, Wayne. The Story of the Liberty Bell. Philadelphia: Henry Altemus Company, 1910

Abbatt, William. The Magazine of History Notes and Queries. Publishing place and Publisher Not Found, 1917: pg55.



Print Sources:

Statement of Process

When I was doing this project I learned a lot about the Liberty Bell. I learned that it was much more than a representation of freedom, it was so made for so many reasons and went through so many different events.

Some hard points were on researching. I would always think that I was missing some more information--like there was some event or fact that was missing. Many have told me that Paul Revere was involved with the Liberty Bell. Yet while I was researching I couldn't find anything more than what I wrote about in the blog. It was very frustrating because more than one time I thought there was more to the Liberty Bell, there was all ready so much I learned that I didn't think there was to know about the Liberty Bell, so there was bound to more on the Liberty Bell than what I already have found out. Even now while I know that from all the research I've done I still think that there is still more things to find out.

Making the genres and making them clear was a another road pump in the project. I was worried about not putting too much information in the genre alone for I had very little information to float around. So mostly my genres came out just leaking the information instead of having an actual clear genre of what it was. Like for instance I wanted to make a feature article out of how many names Liberty Bell had. I thought it was a good feature article and showed that straight out. To my own wonder when it was being checked over a comment said that maybe I should make that post into a feature article. Apparently I wasn't as clear as I thought I was.

Something I got out of doing this project was learning how to put my edit my own posts to work. I know that I must have missed some things in my posts, that only shows that I haven't mastered editing but in due time I could. For now I just merely reached that standard.

This project was really a test to see how much I knew about making genres, how to edit, and how to manage time. I think that I found that I'm not that great at making genres and (I already know) not that good at editing and revising. My time management I think had gotten a little bit better. The bench marks really did keep me on my toes and gave me extra time afterwards to work out the glitches of my posts.

I think that my blog was more or less worth to get a passing grade.

Reflection

From this whole project I think that most of what I done was not the best I could've done if i worked harder at, yet it wasn't the worst I've done. I did get a lot out of this project though, I had a bunch of opportunities to test out what I know on how to write different kind of genres. I also had the chance to see how well I would be able to manage editing my own posts.

A small improvement that I think I still need to show is that I can write a proper genre that makes sense. As in being able to make a genre that shows automatically what type of genre it is. I think one of my better genres that I've made is the news article. It isn't all that great but I think it's the one that is better formatted then most of them. I think I did a good job in keeping the information short to not put all of it in one post.

My worst that I think didn't really do all too well in the blog was the obituary for the bell. When I first posted it I thought that the point was really clear that I was writing that the bell had "died". Maybe it wasn't clear because I writing about a bell that died. Bells don't die! When I wrote I knew that it was kinda dumb and it repeated almost a lot of the information that I already wrote.

Most of my other posts were OK but they did repeat information over again. My skit I think was one of the less informed posts. It had mostly only one new pick of information there

I think that my project deserves something around a three between a four. For myself I don't think I did an excellent job but a good one.