The Statue of Liberty remains a symbol of freedom for people all over the world. The idea began in 1865 when a French nobleman conceived the project to mark the end of America’s Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
Sculptor Frederick Bartoli designed the statue. A massive torch represented enlightenment and progress. The tablets were inscribed with Roman numerals for July 4, 1776.
Broken shackles at Lady Liberty’s feet symbolized emancipation, and the crown featured seven points representing the seven continents.
Constructed in France, the statue was dismantled into 350 pieces, then shipped across the ocean. Lady Liberty arrived in New York on June 17, 1885. It took workers four months to reassemble the monument.
The statue was officially dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in October 1886.
Today, the central Liberty is associated with immigration, but that hasn’t always been the case. It symbolized friendly relationships between the people of the United States and France, each helping the other’s democratic system.
That all changed in 1903 when a group added a bronze plaque to the pedestal featuring a poem by Emma Lazarus called The New Colossus. She didn’t write the poem for that reason. It was repurposed. The poem states, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Unfortunately, it has recently become a symbol of illegal immigration.
In the original oration at the unveiling of Lady Liberty, these words were said by the Honorable Chauncey M. Depew:
“When Franklin drew the lightning from the clouds, he little dreamed that in the evolution of science his discovery would illuminate the torch of Liberty for France and America. The rays from this beacon, lighting this gateway to the continent, will welcome the poor and the persecuted with the hope and promise of homes and citizenship. It will teach them that there is room and brotherhood for all who will support our institutions and aid in our development; but that those who come to disturb our peace and dethrone our laws are aliens and enemies forever.”
Senator Depew didn’t say anything about illegal immigration, and definitely didn’t say we welcomed enemies.
You might not know the Statue of Liberty wasn’t always green; it was constructed of copper and wood and was originally a shining brown, the same color as a penny. It took 20 years of sun, ocean, air, and rain to become the unique color it is today.
