STUDENT CARD

STATUE OF LIBERTY: A FAMOUS GIFT

On July 4, 1884 France gave the United States an amazing birthday gift: the Statue of Liberty! Without the base at the bottom, it is as tall as a 15-storey building. It is a symbol of the United States. But the world-famous Statue of Liberty standing in New York Harbour was built in France. The statue was shown to the US, taken apart, shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in crates and rebuilt in the US.

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France. It was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly in the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions and auctions assisted in providing needed funds.

Finally, in 1886, the statue was completed. Engineer Gustave Eiffel, who would later design the Eiffel Tower in Paris, designed Liberty’s “spine.” Inside the statue four huge iron columns support a metal framework that holds the thin copper skin.

The statue - 151 feet, 1 inch tall - was the tallest structure in the U.S. at that time. The arm holding the torch measures 46 feet; the index finger, 8 feet; the nose, nearly 5 feet.

Visitors climb 354 steps (22 storeys) to look out from 25 windows in the crown. Seven rays in the crown represent the Earth’s seven seas.

Over the years, the Statue of Liberty’s symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as friendship between the two continents.

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