The Statue of Liberty sits on New York's horizon, an icon that for over a hundred years has symbolized liberty and America. Today Lady Liberty stands cool and calm in the Hudson Bay, looking over New York Harbor, but so many years on one might wonder where she came from and why she's here. To answer these questions we will dig in the History of the Statue of Liberty.
The Statue of Liberty was first meant as a present to the Northern Americans from the French. It was to mark the hundredth year of the Declaration of Independence. The gift also symbolized the comradeship that had developed between the two countries during the Revolutionary War. Although it was supposed to be finished in 1876, the initial plans did not work out.
The statue itself was licensed to Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, but the complete process was a joint effort from both sides of the pool. Because of a deficit in funds from both nations the project was initially delayed. Fundraisers were held to raise the required money in France to insure the statue would rise on the shore of America. In the meantime on the North American side, the famous publisher Joseph Pulitzer pulled out all the stops with his paper "The World" to encourage the American folk step up to the plate. At last the money was raised to construct the pedestal that the Statue of Liberty would later stand on. The Statue of Liberty's history was still in progress though, and Woman Freedom herself was not completed for another 8 years.
Once the Statue was complete in France in July of 1884, it took almost a full year to arrive on the beaches of New York Harbor. She made her initial debut in June of 1885. She had traveled from France to America in 214 crates holding 350 separate pieces aboard the frigate called "Isere." Once the statue had ultimately arrived in NY in several pieces it wanted to be put together, no easy task for a monument so sizeable. After the four month process of building the final statue, she was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Though she was supposed to be finished for the year 1876, looking back this is often seen as a minor speed bump in the lengthy history of the Statue of Liberty.
Today people mostly flock to NY for Statue of Liberty tours. Even today she is an impressive presense and visitors can be gaze up at the big statue and pedestal, which from the base to the end of her torch measures 305 feet 6 inches high. She also weighs a huge 225 tons. For those that need to climb and peer out over the gigantic harbor that so many rejoiced in reaching, the staircase within is 154 steps up to her head.
The Statue of Liberty was first meant as a present to the Northern Americans from the French. It was to mark the hundredth year of the Declaration of Independence. The gift also symbolized the comradeship that had developed between the two countries during the Revolutionary War. Although it was supposed to be finished in 1876, the initial plans did not work out.
The statue itself was licensed to Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, but the complete process was a joint effort from both sides of the pool. Because of a deficit in funds from both nations the project was initially delayed. Fundraisers were held to raise the required money in France to insure the statue would rise on the shore of America. In the meantime on the North American side, the famous publisher Joseph Pulitzer pulled out all the stops with his paper "The World" to encourage the American folk step up to the plate. At last the money was raised to construct the pedestal that the Statue of Liberty would later stand on. The Statue of Liberty's history was still in progress though, and Woman Freedom herself was not completed for another 8 years.
Once the Statue was complete in France in July of 1884, it took almost a full year to arrive on the beaches of New York Harbor. She made her initial debut in June of 1885. She had traveled from France to America in 214 crates holding 350 separate pieces aboard the frigate called "Isere." Once the statue had ultimately arrived in NY in several pieces it wanted to be put together, no easy task for a monument so sizeable. After the four month process of building the final statue, she was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Though she was supposed to be finished for the year 1876, looking back this is often seen as a minor speed bump in the lengthy history of the Statue of Liberty.
Today people mostly flock to NY for Statue of Liberty tours. Even today she is an impressive presense and visitors can be gaze up at the big statue and pedestal, which from the base to the end of her torch measures 305 feet 6 inches high. She also weighs a huge 225 tons. For those that need to climb and peer out over the gigantic harbor that so many rejoiced in reaching, the staircase within is 154 steps up to her head.
About the Author:
Jeff Myers has been fascinated by tours of new york city for a few years. He has written many articles about this topic, including short lived histories and the top most engaging facts. For more information about tours of new york city please visit http://www.nyccitytours.org
