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A bell to quell unrest

A symbol of unity has new resonance.

TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer

This was the scene at the Liberty Bell at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia at the same time that a mob had breached the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. After the Civil War, Americans sought a symbol of unity, and the Liberty Bell traveled across the country to help heal the wounds. The bell has since become an international symbol of freedom, and oppressed groups — from America and around the world — visit the bell to give voice to their plight, proclaiming their own call for liberty.