Inspired by the patriotic sentiment that the Liberty Bell had come to embody, William McDowell, of New Jersey, conceived an idea to cast a new bell for display at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The purpose of the new bell, named the "Columbian Liberty Bell", was to promote freedom and peace worldwide. Mr. McDowell convinced the Daughters of the American Revolution to launch a fund-raising campaign to provide support for the casting of the Columbian bell. The Daughters of the American Revolution issued nation-wide requests for individuals to contribute metal objects of historical interest to be melted down and added as part of the bell metal.

Hundreds of donations were received, among them being the keys to Jefferson Davis' house, pike heads used by John Brown at Harper's Ferry, John C. Calhoun's silver spoon, Lucretia Mott's silver fruit knife, Simon Bolivar's watch chain, hinges from the door of Abraham Lincoln's house at Springfield, George Washington's surveying chain, Thomas Jefferson's copper kettle, Mrs. Parnell's earrings, and 250,000 pennies. The metal contributions were given to the Meneely Bell Company for casting. After the casting was completed, the excess metal was used to cast miniature bell souvenirs which were given to schools. The badge on the right above has a Liberty Bell drop made of the excess metal. Stamped on the emblem is "Genuine Col Lib Bell Metal".

The Columbian Liberty Bell weighed 13,000 pounds representing 1,000 pounds for each of the 13 original states and was cast with the following  inscriptions from the New and Old Testaments of the Bible:

• "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Lev 25:10)
• "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14)
• "A new commandment I give unto to you, that ye love one another" (John 13:34)

The Columbian Liberty Bell was placed on display at the 1893 Exposition and rang for various events. At the end of the Exposition, the bell was sent on tour of the United States and was also exhibited at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta. After this time, the Columbian Liberty Bell disappeared.