Whenever we think of America, we think of a lot of things, and one of them is the Statue of Liberty, which is located on Liberty Island.Initially, it was presented as a gift from France. This statue is a national monument and primarily symbolizes freedom, but it has far greater significance.The Statue of Liberty, which was ultimately unveiled on October 28th, 1886, took 21 years to shape the idea and turn it into a reality. The process of building the statue, however, took nine years. There is various symbolism associated with this statue. It is a 305 ft (93 m) sculpture made of copper with an iron frame. The Lady Liberty has a torch in one hand that is wrapped in gold leaf and a tablet that has the American Independence Day inscribed in Roman numerals. The main sculptor behind this design was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. The Liberty statue was built in France, but it was assembled in New York.Thus, the Statue of Liberty is an integral part of America and to learn more about it, keep reading this article as various interesting facts about this sculptor are stated below.If you liked this article, then check out our other articles on New York agriculture facts and Texas facts to learn more about New York tradition and the people of Texas.The History Of The Statue Of LibertyThe history of the Statue of Liberty goes a long way back to 1865 in France, and it took 21 years to ultimately complete and present this statue to the United States. When France was already in a state of chaos, the motive behind this statue was to inspire the people of France to strive for democracy like America.According to some sources, the French anti-slavery activist Édouard René Lefèbvre de Laboulaye discussed this idea with Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi over dinner in 1865. Laboulaye wanted this to be a representative of the combined effort of both countries in the Civil War and to honor the union’s victory. During that period, France was under the repressive government of Napolean III, and he wanted this to be a motivational force for the French people. Bartholdi was intrigued but did not take any immediate action as he was trying to build a lighthouse for the Suez Canal in Egypt. Due to a lack of funding, he couldn’t execute that plan. However, when Bartholdi visited the United States, he was very impressed when he saw Liberty Island, which was called Bedloe’s Island back then. He decided to build a sculpture and illustrated the design in 1870. After fundraising, the sculpture was established. When the idea was pitched to Auguste Bartholdi by Edouard de Laboulaye, they both agreed on a design that would convey the idea of liberty in America. The entire sculpture has been placed on a pedestal designed in America and has equal significance.A lot of speculation went behind designing the statue. It is widely observed that most of Bartholdi’s statues are neo-classical figures, and the Statue of Liberty was based on the goddess Libertas. However, many modifications were made throughout the building of this statue, as initially, Bartholdi thought of Lady Liberty holding a broken chain. The idea was later discarded. The incorporation of the tablet into the design was not originally thought of as Bartholdi was not specific about what to put in the left hand.When was the Statue of Liberty built?The idea of the Statue of Liberty was proposed by the French political thinker Edouard de Laboulaye. He wanted to dedicate this to honor the late President of America, Abraham Lincoln. The construction of the statue began in 1870 under the leadership of Auguste Bartholdi, and it took 21 years to complete this statue.After creating the first draft in 1870, Bartholdi returned to France in 1877 and began constructing the statue. The first thing that he made was the head of Lady Liberty, and for fundraising, he placed the head in the Paris World’s Fair, where approximately 250,000 francs were raised. Just after making the head and arms, Viollet-le-Duc, the French architect who was assisting Bartholdi, died without conveying how to shift the copper skin to the masonry pier. However, Gustave Eiffel (the main engineer behind the Eiffel Tower) took over the project and agreed to substitute the pier with an iron truss. It was also agreed to first assemble the statute, then disassemble it, and then reassemble it again in New York. It took nine years for the completion of the statue.The Statue of Liberty was a massive project, and it required immense funding from both countries. Fundraising was an essential step towards bringing the people of America and France together, as without their equal contribution, the sculpture of Lady Liberty would have remained incomplete. Therefore, the responsibility was divided between the two countries. America would be responsible for the statue’s pedestal while France would fund the entire construction and assembling.Both countries agreed to mutually divide the funding. France was to fund the completion of this sculpture and export it to the United States. While the United States was responsible for the pedestal and the installation of the statue at Liberty Island, in France, the fund was mainly raised by keeping the statue’s head at the Paris World’s Fair in France. In the United States, fundraising commenced in 1882, and the money was raised through various events. A total of $250,000 was raised, while the required amount was $300,000. Currently, the status is preserved by the Ellis Island Foundation and maintained by the National Park Service. The Ellis Island Foundation also preserves Ellis Island. When we see the statue of liberty, it is very astonishing for us to believe that the sculpture was built in France and then, once it was ready, it was transported to America. Finally, on June 17, 1885, the statue arrived in New York in 350 pieces that were later assembled in the United States.After Bartholdi visited New York Harbor, he wanted to install the statue at Liberty Island. He started constructing the statue in New York Harbor, which is initially thought of as assembling the skin at the decided location. Due to the unfortunate death of Viollet-le-Duc, the plan was modified. It was decided to assemble the statue, then disassemble it, then put different parts in crates and export it to the United States, where it would be reassembled again. As a result, this was carried out, and the disassembled statue arrived in the United States in 214 crates at the New York Harbor on June 19th, 1885. The Statue of Liberty is contemplated as a national treasure of America. It is not just a symbol, but an icon of America. The Statue of Liberty is composed of several elements that have deeper significance. The statue is 305 ft (93 m) and is represented by a lady holding a torch and a tablet. This lady is called ‘Lady Liberty’ and represents the spirit of America.The Roman goddess Liberta is frequently associated with the Statue of Liberty by various historiographers. Nonetheless, the Statue of Liberty stands 305 feet (93 meters) tall, slightly shorter than the Eiffel Tower, and weighs approximately 225 ton (450,000 lb).The statue’s face is almost 8 ft (2.4 m) and it has copper skin. Thus, the green color of the statue is because of oxidation for many years. The statue’s torch is in her right hand. It was initially made of bronze, but when it was renovated, the original torch was replaced with a new torch that is covered in gold leaf. The original torch is in the Statue of Liberty Museum. On the other hand of Lady Liberty, she is holding a tablet that has July IV MDCCLXXVI, which is the American Independence Day, inscribed on it. There is a seven-pointed crown on her head and a broken shackle near her legs. She stands on a pedestal and has 354 steps from the pedestal to her head.What does the statue of liberty represent?The Statue of Liberty represents more than just freedom, as it represents the whole United States. After the American Revolution, France’s gift of this statue to America became an emblem of friendship between the two countries. Lady Liberty is also depicted as the mother of exiles, as numerous immigrants came to America for shelter. The spirit of welcoming and embracing these immigrants was represented by Lady Liberty. The lady stands on Liberty Island with a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other while wearing a crown. Each element that has gone into the making of this statue is discussed below. Why is the Statue of Liberty portrayed as a woman? What influenced Auguste Bartholdi to portray liberty as lady liberty? If you have such questions in mind, then keep reading. When the idea of this statue was first induced by Edouard de Laboulaye, Auguste Bartholdi supported him. He wanted this statue to be a personification of all the integrity of European imagery.It is largely believed that this statue is a representation of the Roman Goddess Liberta. However, when Bartholdi and Édouard René Lefèbvre were deciding, they wanted something that would express America’s liberty. There have been pieces of evidence of two female cultural figures in the history of America, one of them being Columbia. However, the idea of a Columbia was discarded on various grounds. The other cultural figure emerged from the Roman goddess Libertas, who was the goddess of freedom. However, Bartholdi thought of bestowing this statue with a peaceful appearance rather than that of a violent revolutionary. Libertas was the Roman goddess of freedom who was largely worshipped by slavery abolitionists. The statue is clothed in flowing robes to make it appear more peaceful. Initially, Libertas is depicted as half-dressed, leading an armed mob, giving it a more violent impression that Bartholdi didn’t want. The crown of the statue has seven spikes, and these seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and seven continents. It is predominantly assumed that the face of the statue is based on the face of the sculptor’s mother, Charlotte Beysser Bartholdi. The torch bearing arm represents enlightenment, and this torch shows the paths towards freedom, while the tablet is the declaration of freedom. The broken shackle symbolizes freedom from slavery and oppression. In Lazarus’s poem ’ ‘The New Colossus’ there is numerous symbolism that one may come across. However, mention should be made of one particular phrase, ‘golden door’. In this poem, the golden door may represent either embracing a new land for the immigrants or fighting is worthwhile for a worthy cause.The statue of liberty was originally intended for which country?It is assumed that although the statue was a gift from France to America, the idea of this statue was originally intended for some other country. The primary designer of the Statue of Liberty was Auguste Bartholdi. He wanted to create a gigantic lighthouse, but he did not have enough funding. He tried to raise funds in various possible ways, but he was not successful. Auguste Bartholdi initially wanted to build this statue in Egypt as he was very much fascinated by the construction of the Suez Canal.When Bartholdi approached Isma’il Pasha with the idea of a lighthouse based on the Fella that would be established at the entrance of the Suez Canal, he didn’t approve of it. The main reason behind this was the budget, although the model and sketch were already prepared. Bartholdi, upon arriving in the United States, saw Liberty Island and thought of constructing a statue there.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 21 mind-blowing New York Statue of Liberty facts, then why not take a look at Brazil Iguazu Falls, or deep dive into 11 amazing Antarctic Ocean facts that you didn’t know.
Whenever we think of America, we think of a lot of things, and one of them is the Statue of Liberty, which is located on Liberty Island.
