Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor within New York City. It was designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

Design[edit | edit source]

The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (Roman numerals for July 4, 1776), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, and was a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad.

History[edit | edit source]

The idea of the statue was first proposed by Édouard René de Laboulaye in 1865. The project was a joint effort between the United States and France. The statue was constructed in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

The statue was administered by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901 and then by the Department of War; since 1933 it has been maintained by the National Park Service. The statue was closed for renovation for much of 1938. In the years following its opening, the statue became a symbol of immigration, with the nearby Ellis Island serving as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station.

See also[edit | edit source]

Statue of Liberty Resources
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