(Yale University Press) Nash explores the history behind the most famous bell in the country, a symbol of liberty and American identity. He traces the bell’s story from its casting in England in 1751 through its cracking, to its eventual emergence as a symbol of a nation. He fills in the context behind its use in announcing the Declaration of Independence, recounts its seven trips around the country, and explores the bell’s evolving meaning through generations. Nash is a professor emeritus of history at UCLA.