Lincoln Memorial to Resound with an 1863 Bell to Honor the Emancipation Proclamation

Historic bell will be rung 160 times on New Year’s Day to mark the anniversary of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA, November 26, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- New Year’s Day 2023 marks the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation – that momentous document that liberated people held in bondage in rebel states. To mark the occasion and to reflect on 160 years of civil rights progress, the National Bell Festival invites bells across the nation to resolutely toll 160 times.

The National Bell Festival will be leading this bell ringing tribute from the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. After brief welcome remarks, including a reading of a portion of the Emancipation Proclamation text, 16 individuals will each toll a special bell 10 times, amounting to 160 distinct tolls.

The bell featured in the commemorations was cast in bronze by the Fulton Bell Foundry of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1863 – the same year as the Emancipation Proclamation. With a 32-inch diameter, the bell’s sonorous tolls will resonate across the adjacent Reflecting Pool. With each reverberation, we get nearer the promise of the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal – a potential, even now, not fully realized.

Note to Event Attendees:

Street parking in the surrounding area is limited. Consider arriving by public transportation. The event will kick-off at 2:30pm on January 1, 2023, and the ringing will last for approximately 30 minutes. This is a free public event, open to all, but advanced registration is recommended.

This is an outdoor event. Please bundle-up and dress appropriately for the weather. Anywhere on the Memorial grounds will be a wonderful place to hear the bell tolling, particularly the eastern side. We recommend finding a cozy perch in the surrounding paths and lawns. Choose a comfortable seat tucked into a marble wall or step, or spread a blanket for a tasty picnic as the bell rings out for freedom.

About the National Bell Festival:

The National Bell Festival is on a mission to celebrate and restore bells in America. Each year on New Year’s Day, the festival rings in the New Year with free community events across America and across the world. The organization also works throughout the year to restore historic bells and bell towers to their former thundering glory.

The National Bell Festival’s work supports the United Nations’ Global Goal No. 11 for Sustainable Development: Protecting the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage, and is enabled, in part, by a Google for Nonprofits grant.

Paul Ashe
National Bell Festival
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