How did a friendship between the United States and France come about?
It was France, who, during the American Revolution, helped America win her freedom from Britain (a long time rival of Britain) by providing us with ships, arms, money and men. Marquis de Lafayette, a noble, persuaded his own government to help. Lafayette served as a major-general under George Washington. The bond between the two grew so strong, that when Lafayette was wounded in battle, Washington sent his own surgeon to take care of him and “treat him as if he were my son.”
Where did the idea for a monument in honor of America’s independence come from?
It came from a French law professor, politician, president of the French Anti-Slavery Society, and author of a “Political History of the U.S.” by Edouard de Laboulaye.
It happened at a small dinner party in 1865, hosted by Laboulaye, with a few liberal Frenchmen, one of them being Frederick Bartholdi, the future sculptor of Miss Liberty.
Following dinner, a discussion led to Napoleon III’s repressive regime, and America’s success in a democratic government. This is when Laboulaye commented to his guests that it would be great if France gave America a monument as a lasting memorial to independence as a common project between both nations. He felt it would help in the cause for democracy in France as well. He talked about America and France being the “two sisters.”
Although Bartholdi said later, this was only a comment, Laboulaye’s dream of seeing a monument in the New World was never realized. He died of a heart failure in 1883. Miss Liberty received her final touches in 1884!
How did Laboulaye’s comment for a monument continue to develop?
After the dinner party, the idea of a monument didn’t leave Bartholdi’s mind. Although he didn’t take action at first, he did discuss it with Laboulaye at times. As early as 1870, Bartholdi was making sketches for this project.
Still, he was busy with other projects and even served as major in the French Army. In time, France would have political stability, and the economy would improve. Also coming up was America’s 100th Centennial Expo of 1876 in Philadelphia. By 1871, Laboulaye suggested Bartholdi travel to America to promote the statue, as well as find a site for the statue.
In 1876, Bartholdi again traveled to America with a huge painting of the statue for America’s Centennial Exhibition. Although the statue wasn’t complete, a fabrication of the right arm holding a torch and the head was exhibited at the Centennial.
What was America’s obligation, other than money, for the statue?
As a joint project, the U.S. was in charge of the pedestal and foundation. Architect Richard Morris was in charge of the pedestal, the cornerstone being laid in 1884 and finished on April 1886. It would be 89 feet high on a concrete foundation requiring 24,000 tons of concrete.
Where did the money come from?It was in 1875 when Laboulaye and Bartholdi announced the project and the formation of the Franco-American Union to start fundraising, with the idea of completion in time for America’s Centennial.
American committees of the Union faced great difficulties in obtaining funds. There was plenty of controversy even with the many money-making events. Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World newspaper, announced a drive to raise $100,000. He promised to print the name of each contributor, no matter what amount was given. He kept his promise and gained 120,000 contributions. Most gave under $1.00. By Aug. 11, 1885, the $100,000 goal was reached.
Why Bedloe’s Island was chosen, its many names, and its uses over the years
Bartholdi, the sculptor, made his first trip to America in 1871, arriving in New York Harbor. He was in awe of the view “where people get their first view of the New World.” He was even more delighted that the island belonged to the government and was on national ground, belonging to the U.S.
It’s many names: It was a group of three islands called “Oyster Islands,” due to the many shell beds in the area; in 1667, Isaac Bedlow, a Dutch colonist, obtained the island, thus Bedloe’s Island; in 1807, it was known as Fort Wood, in memory of army hero, Eleazer Wood; in 1956, the island was renamed Liberty Island.
It’s former uses: quarantine station, a hospital, asylum, military post, recruiting station and ordinance depot, and now the Statue of Liberty site
Physical characteristics of the Statue of Liberty:
Both Laboulaye and Bartholdi wanted to find the best way to express American liberty in a monument. They wished to completely steer away from any type of revolutionary figure. At the time, a Liberty figure was on most American coins, even atop the dome of the U.S. capitol.
The Liberty figure had been around more than 2,000 years. It came from the ancient Roman goddess, Libertas, meaning freedom.
The female figure would wear a stola (a floor length dress) and pella (similar to a shawl worn by today’s women), which was common in depictions of Roman goddesses.
The face of the statue was modeled after Bartholdi’s mother, Charlotte.
Atop the head is a crown, a symbol of honor, glory and victory. The seven rays surrounding the crown form a halo, which evokes the sun, the seven seas, and the seven continents.
The left hand holds a tabula ansata, a keystone-shaped tablet used to invoke the concept of law. Inscribed on the tablet is July IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776), establishing America’s liberty.
For the right hand, Bartholdi chose a torch to represent progress.
The broken shackles, half-hidden under the flowing robe, represented breaking away from England’s rule.
How does the Eiffel Tower fit in with Miss Liberty?
The statue’s engineer died, so Bartholdi asked for assistance for internal structural help from the engineer, Alexander Gustave Eiffel. You’ll remember him for his most famous project, the Eiffel Tower, which he completed for the Paris World Fair in 1889.
What have ticker tape parades to do with Miss Liberty?
Preceding the dedication of the Statue of Liberty was a parade through the streets of New York City, passing by the New York Stock Exchange building. Traders threw ticker tape (paper output from the ticker tape machines) out the windows, which created a snowstorm effect. Thus it was that ticker tape parades became a tradition in New York City for special occasions. It was 13 years later, in 1899, that the first person honored with a ticker tape parade was Admiral George Dewey, the hero in the battle of Manila Bay. Two million people showed up. In a section of Lower Broadway, from the bottom of Broadway up to City Hall, “Canyon of Heroes” plaques have been placed in the sidewalk to commemorate each of the city’s ticker tape (now mostly confetti is used) parades. In 2010, there were 204 plaques laid.
What does Emma Lazarus have to do with the Statue of Liberty?
One of the committee efforts to raise funds for the pedestal, in 1883, for the statue was an auction of art and manuscripts. At the time, young poet Emma Lazarus was a volunteer in helping indigent immigrants coming to America. Thus, Emma, in empathy to the immigrants she helped, wrote “The New Colossus,” submitting it to the auction. It was published and soon forgotten.
A friend of hers discovered her poem in a used bookstore in 1903. Realizing the impact on Emma’s sonnet, her friend persuaded others to place a bronze plaque of the sonnet on the base of the statue. Alas, Emma Lazarus died in 1887, at the age of 38, never knowing how much her famous words would mean to others: ” Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
A few features of the Statue of Liberty:
The official dedication day of the statue was October 28, 1886.
Height of copper statue: 151 feet, 1 inch
Weight of steel used in statue: 450,000 pounds
Weight of copper used in statue: 60,000 pounds
354 steps to reach the crown25 windows in the crown
The statue arrived in New York Harbor June 17th, 1885 but laid in storage one year until the pedestal was completed.
It took 9 years for the statue to be completed.
The statue had to be packed in 350 individual pieces and 214 crates to ship it to America.
