John Hinderliter - What Is the Statue of Liberty?

In July 1976, the United States had a holiday. It was the two-hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. All over the country, towns and cities celebrated. In New York City, there were fireworks, parades, and patriotic speeches. Right in the middle of it all stood that towering symbol of American freedomthe Statue of Liberty!

The statues real name is Liberty Enlightening the World, but its often called Lady Liberty or the Statue of Liberty. The statue is huge151 feet and 1 inch tall. Thats about as tall as a tower of thirty-five eleven-year-old kids stacked head-to-toe.

Its made of copper and is mostly hollow, with a metal skeleton-like support structure inside and stairs so visitors can walk up into its crown. Today about four million people visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island every year.

Like the American flag, the statue is shown on army posters and on postage stamps. A picture of the torch is on the ten dollar bill. Advertisers have used it to sell everything from soap to hamburgers. It has even had roles in movies such as the Planet of the Apes, Independence Day, and Superman II.

Since 1886, the statue has offered a message of hope to immigrants coming to America. From the late 1800s into the 1900s, millions came from other countries. Most were very poor and most came from Europe. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean on steamships. As the majority of those ships sailed into New York Harbor, one of the first landmarks they saw was the Statue of Liberty. They would cheer and sometimes cry with joy. At last they had reached America, land of liberty, where they hoped to start a new and better life.

During World Wars I and II, American soldiers from all over the US were sent to New York City. There, they boarded ships bound for European battlefields. As they departed, they sailed past the statue. It inspired patriotic feelings in so many of them. And when soldiers returned after the wars, the statue was there to welcome them home.

Surprisingly, the Statue of Liberty was not the United States idea. It was a gift from the people of France. A French professor first proposed the idea, a French sculptor designed the statue, and a French engineer designed its inner framework. Americans were not even sure they wanted the statue at first. Some were suspicious about the reasons behind the gift. They almost said no to France!

CHAPTER 1
The Big Idea

It all started in 1865 at a dinner party outside Paris, France. At least, thats the legend that was printed in a fundraising brochure for the Statue of Liberty twenty years later. The party was held in the home of a law professor named Edouard de Laboulaye. He was an expert on American history. Hed written books about the American way of government. He thought all countries should be like the United Statesfree to elect their own government leaders.

The Civil War had just ended in America. Laboulaye had admired President Abraham Lincoln for bringing slavery to an end and uniting all the states again after the war. This was a sign that the democratic form of government was strong. In the end, it had worked well even during troubled times.

Just as the thirteen American colonies had once risen up against the king of England, so too had the French people rebelled against their king. The French Revolution had begun in 1789, only thirteen years after Americans proclaimed their independence. Unfortunately, unlike the American Revolution, the French Revolution ended in disaster. Instead of becoming a free country, France was ruled by a series of emperors. Their word was law. The French people couldnt say anything against the government without getting in big trouble.

Laboulaye wanted to make a statement in support of political freedom, but he needed to do it in a way that wouldnt put him in danger. He couldnt help but dream: What if France gave America an amazing monument that celebrated liberty?

One of Laboulayes dinner guests that night was a sculptor. His name was Frdric-Auguste Bartholdi. He liked to work big. Hed gone to see the pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt. These gigantic ancient monuments really had impressed him. He wasnt quite as interested in American politics as Laboulaye, but he loved his statue idea and volunteered to sculpt it.