The Statue of Liberty stands on
Liberty Island in New York Harbor. The people of
France gave this 151-foot-tall copper lady to
the people of the United States in 1884. She is
known around the world as an important symbol of
the United States and of liberty, or freedom.
The idea for the statue began at a dinner
party in France in 1865. The people there
admired the United States. They wanted to create
something that would celebrate the love of
liberty shared by the two countries.
One of the men at the dinner was a sculptor
named Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
The idea thrilled him.
Right away, he started drawing sketches of a
huge statue of a woman holding a torch. Over the
next ten years, he made plans and raised money.
Then he oversaw the building of the great lady.
When workers finished the shining copper
statue, she was taken apart and put on a ship
for her journey across the Atlantic Ocean to New
York. Two weeks into the trip, a fierce storm
arose, placing the ship and the statue in great
danger.
The Lady finally arrived in New York Harbor
on June 17, 1885. During the next year, American
workers finished the pedestal. Finally, on
October 28, 1886, the statue of Liberty was
unveiled. A huge celebration took place. Boats
filled the harbor, the president gave a speech,
and New York City hosted a grand parade.
Over the years, immigrants to the United
States have given the Statue of Liberty special
meaning. Many Immigrants remember her as the
first thing they saw as they entered America.
Standing tall with torch raised high, the
Lady seems to be welcoming immigrants and
lighting their way to freedom.
