History of the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is an iconic symbol of freedom in the United States, and the most recognizable symbol of democracy in the world. It is situated on

Edouard de Laboulaye viewed America favorably after slavery was abolished, so to express his desire for a democratic France he commissioned Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi to design a sculpture to embody this desire. The project, launched around 1865, did not actually begin until 1874 when Bartholdi sailed into the New York Harbor and saw Bedloe's Island. Bartholdi believed this to be the perfect site for his statue since it would always have an audience.

French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was hired by Bartholdi to create a skeleton for the sculpture. Eiffel designed an iron pylon and skeletal framework designed to allow the statue's skin to move independently, providing flexibility during violent harbor winds. The copper used to create the statue's "skin" was hammered using a technique called repousse until the pieces were a mere 3/32" thick.

The Statue of Liberty was a collaborative work between the United States and France, so each was tasked with building a different part of the finished work. American workers were charged with builing the pedestal and France was responsible for the statue and its assembly. The copper statue was completed in France in July of 1884, then taken apart and shipped to the United States. It arrived in June of 1885, and reassembled in four months after the completion of the pedestal.

Bartholdi used a torch to represent future progress, and robes to give the Statue a peaceful appearance. The Statue's Crown was originally supposed to be a helmet, but Bartholdi wished to express the Statue's potential for worldwide enlightenment. He used the seven points on the Crown to represent the seven seas and seven continents.

The Statue of Liberty was declared a National Monument in 1924. Bedloe's Island was renamed Liberty Island in 1956, and President Lyndon B. Johnson added Ellis Island to the Statue of Liberty Monument. A restoration project was undertaken in 1982 in honor of the Statue's 100th birthday. In 1984 the Statue of Liberty was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations at the start of of the restoration project. In 1986, to celebrate its centennial, the Statue opened to the public during Liberty Weekend.

Due to the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the Statue was closed to the public. After 100 days the island was reopened, but the Statue remained closed. The pedestal level was opened to the public on August 3, 2004. The Crown of the Statue of Liberty remained closed until at last, on July 4, 2009, it was once more available to the public. A reservation is required if you want to climb all the way to the Crown level, or merely to the top of the Pedestal level.

Sources:
"Statue of Liberty National Monument - History & Culture (U.S. National Park Service)", National Park Service
"Statue of Liberty", Wikipedia