Destination 2

Touring the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty

The statue of liberty a national monument in Liberty Island, and represents American freedom and democracy. Lady Liberty was a gift of friendship from the French to the people of the United States, and was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Take a trip to look at this magnificent statue and gain a better understanding of American ideals during the 19th century, about how democracy drove a nation to civil war, and how the idea of democracy has made America what it is today.






The Story of How it Came to be.

Statue of Liberty Unveiled, by Edward
 Moran

 The statue was given by the French people to the people of the US in recognition of friendship established during the American Revolution. The idea of the Statue came from a man by the name of Edouard De Laboulaye in 1865. He saw the United States as a country that had proved that democracy was a viable type of government after surviving a Civil War and the abolishment of slavery. He also envisioned a democratic France. De Laboulaye's idea was put into work by the artist Federic-Auguste Bartholdi. Bartholdi's statue, named the  "Statue of liberty Liberty Enlightening the World", was a gigantic statue in the style of Greco-Roman art, incorporating various techniques like repousse (this is what gives Lady Liberty her copper skin). At this point, Laboulaye recruited the French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel tower) to make the statue's skeleton. As the statue was to be a joint effort between two Nations, the French made the statue while the Americans made the pedestal. The statue was completed in France in July, 1884, and was disassembled, transported to the U.S., and then reassembled. On October 28, 1886, the dedication of teh Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators.