The Statue of Liberty: ‘Enlightening the World’ for Nearly 150 Years

The Statue of Liberty has served as the guardian of New York Harbor for nearly 150 years.

The statue might be one of the most photographed works of art in the world. A French sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, designed it in the late 1800s. Today the monument remains a beautiful sight on the New York skyline.

The materials required for building the Statue of Liberty were almost lost at sea. In 1885, the ship carrying those materials nearly sank in stormy seas. Luckily, the ship survived. It arrived in June of that year.

By 1886, the Statue of Liberty was erected on what was then called Bedloe’s Island. The statue was officially opened that year. Many years later, the island was given a new name: Liberty Island.

“Lady Liberty,” as many people call the statue, was a gift from the people of France. Its full name is “Liberty Enlightening the World.” The United States and France have been friends and allies since the American Revolution. France helped the American colonial armies defeat British forces. The war officially ended in 1783. A few years later, the French rebelled against their king.

France had wanted to give the statue to the United States on the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence – July 4th, 1876. But technical problems and lack of money delayed the project. France finally officially presented the statue to the United States in Paris in 1884.

The statue also needed a structure that could hold its weight of more than 200 tons. French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel created the necessary technology. Later, he designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Eiffel and others worked in Paris to produce a strong support system for the statue. The design also had to have the ability to move a little in strong winds.

In France, workers separated the statue into 350 pieces, put them on a ship and sent them across the ocean. After surviving the rough seas, the statue arrived in New York in more than 200 wooden boxes.

It took workers four months to build the statue on the pedestal.

On October 28th, 1886, President Grover Cleveland accepted the statue in a ceremony. He said: “We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected.”

Throughout history, the idea of liberty has often been represented by images of a woman. Historians say the statue’s face was created to look like Bartholdi’s mother. Her right arm holds a torch high in the air. Her left arm holds a tablet with the date of America’s Declaration of Independence – July 4th, 1776.

On her head, the Statue of Liberty wears a crown with seven points. Each point is meant to represent the light of freedom as it shines on the seven seas and seven continents of the world. The 25 windows in the crown represent gemstones found on Earth. A chain that represents oppression lies broken at her feet.

Lady Liberty was officially named a National Monument in 1924. Liberty Island and Fort Wood have been overseen by the U.S. National Park Service since 1933.

The Statue of Liberty has survived damage caused by time, visits by millions of people and the weather. It stood firm during a destructive storm, Hurricane Sandy, which struck the East Coast in October of 2012. But Liberty Island suffered damage, requiring major repairs.