The Statue of Liberty is among the world’s well-known symbols of freedom, democracy, and friendship. Being a national monument located in New York Harbor, the statue has been visited by millions of people and has become a true embodiment of the USA.
France has gifted the Statue of Liberty monument to the United States as a sign of friendship and a common belief in the principles of liberty and democracy.
However, the story behind the construction of the statue goes further than calling it a gift. In order to construct such a statue, French artists, engineers, and politicians should work hard and even raise money for its erection.
France Gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States
France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States in the 19th century. The idea of the monument was proposed by French political thinker and an abolitionist Édouard René de Laboulaye who respected American democratic principles of governance.
Édouard René de Laboulaye wanted to construct a monument that would remind people of the close relations that have existed between France and the United States for many years. France played a very important role in the development of the United States as it helped Americans win the American Revolutionary War from the British forces.
Why Was the Statue of Liberty Gifted to America?
The Statue of Liberty was created as a symbol of Franco-American friendship and freedom. Laboulaye saw in the American political system something that should inspire France and wanted the monument to be built to honor the common spirit of liberty.
Money from French people was collected for the statue itself, whereas Americans gathered money to build the pedestal for the statue in New York.
Therefore, it became a combined effort: France gifted the statue, and America prepared the location and built a pedestal where Lady Liberty would stand.
Who Designed the Statue of Liberty?
The Statue of Liberty was created by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. The full name of the statue is Liberty Enlightening the World.
The statue was designed by Bartholdi, and French engineers took care of the complicated structure that supported the statue.
Engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, known for the Eiffel Tower, helped in creating the statue’s frame from iron. This design made it possible to create the light structure of copper that could resist winds and movements.
When Was the Statue of Liberty Gifted to the USA?
The finished statue was gifted to the US in 1884 in France. It was disassembled and sent across the ocean.
It arrived in New York in 1885, and in the meantime, the pedestal was being built in the USA through fundraising.
The statue was assembled and dedicated to the United States of America on October 28, 1886.
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