Lady Liberty
The Statue of Liberty took years to build, and is a testament to both the United States and France’s ideals of freedom. Although a long and rocky process, the statue was completed in 1886 and is now a symbol not only of freedom but the United States throughout the world. It is also an American landmark, attracting millions of visitors a year.
France and the United States: Two Sisters of Liberty
France played an important and influential role in the founding of the United States. During the Revolutionary War, France backed the United States’ claim to independence, as well as supported the war with money, supplies and soldiers. Most notable of the French soldiers was the Marquis de Lafayette who rose to prominence in the Colonial Army and was a close personal friend of George Washington.
Thirteen years after the United States’ own Declaration of Independence, the French had their own Revolution. Espousing the ideals of liberty and reason, they built their own Republic following somewhat in the footsteps of the United States. Unfortunately, the first French Republic failed, bringing forth the Reign of Terror and the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
In the 1860’s, the United States had just come out of the bloody Civil War, and with the ending of slavery remade itself into a symbol of liberty. At the same time, the people of France were undergoing the regime of Napoleon III, and once again were hoping to found a new republic, the Third Republic of France.
According to Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the ultimate sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, the first idea of such a statue came at a dinner party in 1865. The generator of the idea was one of the intellectual leaders of the Republican movement in France, Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye. He suggested that the gift of a monument to the United States would showcase both nations’ commitment to freedom and liberty. It was thought that such a gift could be given in 1876, to celebrate the United States’ Centennial Celebration.
Planning the Gift
In 1871, with the Third Republic becoming ever more a reality, Laboulaye sent the sculptor Bartholdi on a mission to the United States. He was to study the United States for ideas for their own Republic, sing the praises of the new Republic to the Americans, and discuss with them their proposal for giving the United States a monument as a testament to freedom.
While sailing into New York Harbor, Bartholdi decided where he would put the statue he intended to build. Bedloe’s Island, where his statue would stand out before everyone sailing onto America’s shores.
Bartholdi carried with him a sketch of the statue as it would appear on the island, as well as a model of the statue, and attempted to convince the Americans of the grandness of the idea. While many thought the statue was a good idea, few were willing to commit money to the project. Money would be a major concern throughout the building of the statue.
In 1874 the Third Republic of France was finally born, and it seemed that the time to truly start building the statue should begin. The statue would be very expensive, and it was decided that the French and the Americans would share the cost. The French would pay for the statue itself, while the United States would be responsible for the building of the pedestal. In 1875 the Franco-American Union was formed to fund the project.
The Torch of Liberty
France immediately began to raise funds for the building of the statue. It had been hoped that the statue would be completed in time for the July 4, 1876 celebration of the American Centennial, however it was soon realized that this was an impossible goal. Instead, it was hoped that the arm holding the torch of liberty could be unveiled for Centennial celebration.
Bartholdi gathered a large team around him to assist in the building of the statue, including Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who would later design the Eiffel Tower. The team was composed of the best builders in France, and they worked furiously to get the arm done on time.
Unfortunately the task was not completed for a July 4th unveiling, however it was completed before the ending of the Centennial Exhibition, and Americans were allowed to climb into the arm and stand on the balcony beneath the torch for the first time. It generated enthusiasm for the project, and the building of the Statue of Liberty was truly under way.
Completion of the Statue
Bartholdi then set himself another goal: to have the head of Liberty completed by the time of the Paris World’s Fair in 1878. As with the American Centennial, however, Lady Liberty would arrive late, missing the opening of the fair and coming the next month.
On October 24th, 1881, the first rivet was driven into the statue by American ambassador to France Levi P. Morton. Morton would write back to the United States that “The statue commences to reach above the houses, and next spring one will see it overlook the entire city.”
Laboulaye, the originator of the project, died in the last months of 1883. He would never get to see his dream come to completion, the Statue of Liberty which would be finished only months after his death in June of 1884.
Pulitzer and the Pedestal
While the French were working furiously to complete the statue, work on the pedestal came slowly. Financing for the pedestal was proving incredibly difficult. Most of those with money in the United States ignored the statue completely. Many people throughout the country were upset at the high cost of the pedestal.
Many Americans thought of it as a New York statue, not an American one. Few saw the need to help pay for the pedestal. By 1884, almost ten years after the founding of the Franco-American Union only $149,000 had been raised for the statue, only half of the funds needed.
Joseph Pulitzer, an immigrant from Hungary and rising newspaper mogul, decided to help with the effort to build the pedestal. Using his newspaper The World as his platform, he attacked the wealthy in the United States for failing to support the building of the statue, and called upon the common man to offer their support to build a true monument to the people of America, not the wealthy of America.
Pulitzer also said that he would print the name of every person to donate in his newspaper, no matter how small the contribution. He set a goal of $100,000 for the project, which would be achieved in August of 1885 with the help of over 120,000 contributors. Pulitzer had succeeded, it was truly an effort of the people that paid for the completion of the pedestal.
Lady Liberty in New York Harbor
The architect chosen to build the pedestal was Richard Morris Hunt. After several different designs, one was decided upon in 1884 and construction began, with the financial assistance of the movement led by Pulitzer.
In 1885, while the pedestal was still being completed, the Statue of Liberty was dismantled in France. It was placed into 214 crates and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, reaching New York on June 17th.
In April of 1886, the pedestal was finally completed, towering 89 feet high. Reassembly of the statue onto her final home began immediately.
On October 28th, 1886, Barholdi and representatives of the French half of the Franco-American Union joined the American Committee, along with Joseph Pulitzer and over a hundred thousand Americans in the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty. 21 years after its first proposal and 12 years after construction began the statue was completed, testimony to the hard work of both France and the United States.
Beacon of the American Dream
In 1883 as part of the fundraising efforts for the pedestal, Emma Lazarus wrote a poem entitled The New Colossus, from which the famous line “Give me your tired, your poorâÂ?¦” comes from. In 1903, this poem was placed on a plaque that was inserted onto an interior wall of the pedestal, and has become one of the most famous parts of Lady Liberty.
The poem as well as the statue itself became a symbol to immigrants coming to the United States from around the world. The statue was the visible symbol of the liberty that was America to so many people.
In World Wars I and II, the Statue of Liberty was used in campaigns to raise funds for the war as well as recruit soldiers.
On October 15th, 1924, the Statue of Liberty was made a national monument by President Calvin Coolidge. Care of the statue passed into the hands of the National Park Service in 1933.
In 1981, a new fundraising effort was begun, this time to restore Lady Liberty in time for her 100th birthday on October 28th, 1986. Unlike the first round of fundraising for her construction, there was generous support with $86 million dollars being raised for reconstruction efforts, all for her mighty 100th year celebration.
Lady Liberty is now over 120 years old, and she continues to remain a symbol of American freedom. She renowned the world over, and continues to attract millions of visitors a year. She is a testament to liberty and to the American Dream.
