Monumental History: The Story of Arkansas's Replica Liberty Bell

Legacies & Lunch July 2026

Kristin Dutcher Mann will explore the history of Arkansas’s replica Liberty Bell, detailing its roots in postwar economic policy and discussing how it came to its permanent home in the Bicentennial Memorial on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds.

What can we learn about local, state, and national history by studying public monuments? Arkansas’s replica Liberty Bell arrived in Little Rock as part of the 1950 "Save for Your Independence" savings bond campaign. The two-ton bell toured the state on a specially designed truck in the summer of 1950, headlining events that linked financial thrift to good citizenship and patriotism. Historian Kristin Dutcher Mann will explore the history of this object, detailing its roots in postwar economic policy and discussing how it came to its permanent home in the Bicentennial Memorial on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds.
 
We are excited to offer a lunch including a sandwich, chips, a cookie, and a drink to in-person attendees in 2026, courtesy of the CALS Foundation. Meals are limited and will be offered on a first-come first-served basis. We cannot accommodate dietary restrictions or allergies, and registration does not guarantee lunch will be available.  
 
Kristin Dutcher Mann is Professor of History at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she teaches courses in U.S. and World History, Latin American History, public history, and social studies teaching methods. She is the author of The Power of Song: Music and Dance in the Missions of Northern New Spain, 1590-1810, as well as articles, book chapters, and public history projects on cultural history and soundscapes, including bells. Her current research project is the subject of her talk today, a study of the Replica Liberty Bells that were part of the U.S. Treasury Department's 1950 Independence Savings Bond Drive. A physical exhibit, “250 Years of American Symbols,” which she developed with a team of undergraduate students, is on display in the State Capitol 4th floor gallery through the summer. 

Legacies & Lunch is a hybrid program offering participants the opportunity to attend either in person or virtually via Zoom. To participate in person, join us at Darragh Center, 5th Floor, CALS Main Library (with elevator access). Parking is available in the surface lot or the CALS Parking Deck, which can be accessed from Rock Street. Parking will be validated. To participate virtually, register for the webinar using the button above. 

All abilities are welcome. To request ASL interpretation or other accommodations, call 501.918.3069 or email hzbinden@cals.org seven business weekdays before a program.

This program will be live-streamed to YouTube, and the recording will be available immediately following the event. 

Legacies & Lunch is a free monthly program of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies about Arkansas-related topics.

Past Legacies & Lunch Events