On October 28, 1886, a 240-foot tall structure originally named “Liberty Enlightening the World” was revealed to an audience on Ellis Island in New York. This was the tallest structure in New York City, and it is still a great symbol in America today.1 Who would have known that a French sculptor and a French scholar would want to commemorate America for being a free nation for 100 years. These two individuals go by the names Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and Edouard-Rene Laboulaye.2 These two men met and created a sketch for the statue and wanted it to be a symbol of a “freedom-loving republic, a government in which power lay in the hands of the people, instead of a king.”3 The statue would also symbolize the alliance between France and America that began during the American War of Independence against Britain. There is a misconception that the statue was built to represent a welcoming icon for immigrants; however, this was not the initial purpose of the statue.4 France built the Statue of Liberty beginning in 1875. It was made out of 450,000 pounds of copper and steel. It was agreed by both nations that America was to be in charge of the pedestal, which weighed 27,000 tons, for the statue to rest on.5
In the construction of the statue, Bartholdi had used three hundred copper sheets to cover the entire statue. The reason why the statue appears to be green is due to its long exposure to the atmosphere over time. Something interesting is that the features of the statue’s face resemble those of Bartholdi’s mother and the arms resemble those of his wife. The Statue of Liberty is also presented wearing a long robe, which was influenced by ancient Greek and Rome attire. The purpose of this was to serve as a reminder of the ideals of that ancient era.6
The statue is carrying a tablet in her left hand with the year “1776” written on it, which is the year that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. The significance behind this is to serve as a reminder that “all men are created equal.” It also reinforces the idea that if the government fails to abide by the natural rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” then the citizens have the right to establish a new government by overthrowing the current one. This tablet also serves as a religious reminder of the Ten Commandments that Moses received when God revealed himself to him on Mount Sinai. The torch that is held in Liberty’s right hand symbolizes the light that the United States carries for the entire world. This suggests that nations should follow America’s political system, according to the French architects. She is also wearing a crown with sun rays beaming from it called a “diadem.” This refers to the ancient sun god, Helios.7
In 1884, the entire statue was done being constructed in France; however, due to its large size, it was packed into two hundred cases to be transported to New York.8 The place where the statue was assembled was Ellis Island. The statue is known as the “centerpiece of a magical American place,” since her popularity will grow through being imaged in magazines, newspapers, postcards, among other things.9 One issue with building the statue was the funding for the statue’s pedestal, since the U.S. government was not willing to pay for the construction of it. One way this was done was by fundraising and donations from various contributors, such as Joseph Pulitzer and Emma Lazarus. Pulitzer published in the New York World newspaper asking for donations for this statue. Lazarus wrote a poem at a fund-raising auction to help the funding of the statue’s pedestal.10
The unveiling of the statue was on a foggy, raining day on October 28, 1886. Millions of people witnessed this revelation and took part in a parade held in Manhattan. The President at the time was Grover Cleveland. He gave a speech at the ceremony about freedom and America’s democracy. However, immigration was not mentioned in this speech. The Statue of Liberty was the first major icon that immigrants would see as they came to America. The Statue of Liberty is an important icon in American history and is still a valued symbol today. The story behind its development and upbringing involved the interaction between France and the U.S. The purpose of the construction of this statue is to recognize America’s political system, its dependence on the ideals of freedom, and how America serves as a symbol of hope and a new start for immigrants.11
- Dictionary of American History, 2003, s.v. “Statue of Liberty,” by John Higham. ↵
- UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History, 2009, s.v. “Statue of Liberty,” by Sonia Benson, Daniel E. Brannen, Jr., and Rebecca Valentine. ↵
- James L. Outman, Statue of Liberty In U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (Detroit: UXL, 2004), 364. ↵
- James L. Outman, Statue of Liberty In U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (Detroit: UXL, 2004), 364-365. ↵
- Dictionary of American History, 2003, s.v. “Statue of Liberty,” by John Higham. ↵
- James L. Outman, Statue of Liberty In U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (Detroit: UXL, 2004), 366-367. ↵
- James L. Outman, Statue of Liberty In U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (Detroit: UXL, 2004), 368-369. ↵
- James L. Outman, Statue of Liberty In U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (Detroit: UXL, 2004), 369. ↵
- Dictionary of American History, 2003, s.v. “Statue of Liberty,” by John Higham. ↵
- James L. Outman, Statue of Liberty In U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (Detroit: UXL, 2004), 365-370. ↵
- James L. Outman, Statue of Liberty In U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (Detroit: UXL, 2004), 370-374. ↵
93 comments
Alexis Soto
Great article about the Statue of Liberty. You throughly explained it’s interesting history and why it was given to the United States. When I first learned that Frenchmen were responsible for the creation of the statue I thought it was fitting. Who better then the French whom also had a revolution against tyranny. One thing I did learn from this article was how the statue came to be green. It was always something I wondered but never made am effort to learn. Thanks!
Anayeli Prieto
Great Article! its very interesting how many architectures and building have such a major importance and significance to us. Your explaination about the the significanceof the statue of liberty is great because it demonstrates the freedon that was promised to us all. The statue of liberty is very well loved and taken care of for all of these years and, similar to thr worl trade center, if the Statue of liberty was destroyed, out country would be emotionally affected due to the importance of the landmark.
Nahim Rancharan
This was a very well-written and organized article, it kept me wanting to read more. Naturally, I assumed the same misconceptions that you pointed out in your article and I am glad that you chose to rectify those misconceptions. Additionally, it was fascinating to see how you had incorporated the multi-faceted significance behind one of the world’s most famous historical landmark, especially how it was constructed as a sign of freedom, not necessarily one specifically addressing free immigration. I like the flow of the article and how it kept revealing more insights as I kept reading. Good Job on the article!
Mario Sosa
Good job on pointing out the common misconceptions of the Statue of Liberty. I myself was not aware of the statue’s original purpose or how its color became green over time. It struck me as surprising how the U.S. did not want to pay for the statue and how the French had to rely on donations. Intriguing article, great job!
Elizabeth Garibay
Great job! This article was very interesting and informative. Learning so much about the statue of liberty excites me considering I have always wanted to visit it. Now that I have knowledge about it, it will be more fun and exciting. While reading, I was surprised at a lot of this information mainly because I was unaware of many of these facts. It’s amazing that this statue was built and all of the aspects of it make it even more spectacular. This article was much needed to those like me uninformed about the statue of liberty.
Mariana Govea
Great informative article! I never knew why the statue of liberty was built or any of its background information! I always thought it was built to symbolize our freedom, but I never knew it had been french people who built it! As well as I liked how you mentioned that the US was denied to pay for it even though it was for us, but its amazing how other people decided to fund it even if it did not benefited them or honored them in any way! Great research and organization! Good job!
Sam Vandenbrink
Great article! I always wondered why the statue of liberty was green! And the article explained very in-depth on why it is. It’s very interesting that the statue of liberty has the date “1776” that the declaration of independence was signed. The statue of liberty is really a valued part of the united states to this day, very good article topic and really intesting Very good article! really enjoyed the read!
Bailey Rider
Great article! These are some pretty cool and interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty. For example, it was cool to learn that the statue used to be called “Liberty Enlightening the World”. I wonder why two french artist wanted to commemorate the American independence. Also I wonder where they got the money for this statue from, it seems like it would have cost a lot! It was also cool to learn that we made the base for it, and not the french. Thanks for the article!
Cesar Zavala
Great article with good facts about the creators of the Statue of Liberty. Both Frederic and Edouard worked hard and meticulously in order for the statue to represent all of the values that they held to be true for how a country should be run. I also liked how Frederic used inspiration from his own mother’s face and his wife’s arms; it’s seems like a great eternal gift for a son or husband to give to a loved one. Another fact that I was also unaware of was that the U.S was in charge of paying for the stand on which Lady Liberty now stands. The fund-raising that was needed to pay for the stand I believe also worked as a way for the people to feel further connected to the message that the statue represents.
Gabriela Serrato
This article was very interesting and extremely informative as well. I have always wanted to visit the statue of liberty and if I hopefully do, I will have a greater appreciation for it. I was surprised at a lot of this information simply because I was unaware of many of these facts. It is amazing that this statue was built and all of the aspects of it make it even more spectacular. This article was much needed to this site and well done overall.