“The Statue of Liberty” A Gift From France To The USA Funded By The French People!
When thirteen British colonies in North America sued for independence from Great Britain in 1775, it had to find a powerful international friend. These states that we now know as the US today became independent in 1783. France and America established a longstanding alliance and friendship based on the values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Hence, the Americans felt that they were greatly indebted to the French for independence. At the time, French also wanted to honor the USA for achieving the abolition of slavery and the Union’s victory in the Civil War in 1865. Along with their kindred spirit, the French gifted the Statue of Liberty to the USA.
The Statue of Liberty is special as it was not entirely a gift from the French government. Instead, it was a gift from its people. The cost of around $250,000 to build the statue was paid for by the French people through a fundraising effort. Let us now look at this fascinating story of an icon of friendship between two people.
The Origins of the Statue of Liberty
The idea for the Statue of Liberty dates back to 1865. French historian Édouard René de Laboulaye proposed it as a gift. It was a gift to honor the enduring friendship between France and the United States. Laboulaye admired the American system of government including the abolition of slavery. Laboulaye had been a vocal supporter of the Union during the American Civil War. He believed that France should present a gift to the U.S. that symbolized their shared commitment to freedom and democracy.
“The Union’s victory was a victory for liberty and justice, and we in France should acknowledge that in a fitting way.”
Édouard René de Laboulaye
French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was responsible for designing the monument. Bartholdi envisioned a statue to represent the ideals of liberty and democracy, specifically focusing on the recent abolition of slavery in the United States. Bartholdi remarked, “I wanted to express the idea of liberty in a form that could stand as a lasting monument. The United States was the place where liberty had reached its highest development.”
“I wanted to express the idea of liberty in a form that could stand as a lasting monument. The United States was the place where liberty had reached its highest development.”
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
The Role of the French People in Funding the Statue
Laboulaye’s idea received strong support, but financing such an enormous statue quickly became a challenge. The French government was not in a position to fund the project. Instead, citizens of France primarily financed the statue.
One of the driving forces behind the fundraising effort in France was the Committee of the French-American Union. It organized events to raise money. The people of France showed a lot of generosity in their support of the project. To inspire even greater participation, several public figures, including politicians and intellectuals, actively promoted the project.
In his memoirs, Bartholdi recounted the widespread enthusiasm in France for the statue. “The people of France rallied behind the project with great passion. They believed that the idea of liberty was not just an American ideal but one that should be celebrated around the world.”
“The people of France rallied behind the project with great passion. They believed that the idea of liberty was not just an American ideal but one that should be celebrated around the world.”
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
How Was the Statue of Liberty Built?
The statue stands 151 feet tall and consists of copper sheets over an iron framework. Bartholdi was responsible for the statue’s overall design. However, he worked closely with engineer Gustave Eiffel, who was famous for designing the Eiffel Tower. Eiffel’s contribution to the project was the internal iron framework that supports the statue. This innovative structure was necessary. It allowed the copper skin of the statue to expand and contract with temperature changes without damaging the statue’s stability.
Eiffel explained the engineering behind the statue, saying, “The iron framework needed to be both strong and flexible, capable of withstanding the forces of wind and weather, while still supporting the copper shell without strain.” The method used to assemble the statue’s components was revolutionary for the time, allowing the structure to remain stable for generations.
The statue itself was assembled in France. It took several years to complete, with the final piece finished in 1884. Workers disassembled the statue into 350 pieces, packed them into 214 crates, and shipped them to the United States for reassembly after completing the statue.
The Journey to America: How Did the Statue Arrive in the U.S.?
After workers completed the Statue of Liberty in France, they needed to transport it to the United States. This was a complex task due to the size and weight of the statue’s various components. The pieces were loaded onto the French frigate Isère in May 1885. The journey across the Atlantic Ocean took several weeks and was not without difficulties. The ship faced stormy weather and rough seas, but it successfully arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885.
Upon arrival in the United States, the statue was greeted with great enthusiasm. The American press closely followed the progress of the shipment, with daily updates on the status of the frigate. Workers then reassembled the statue on what was known as Bedloe’s Island, now Liberty Island, in New York Harbor. The reassembly process took several months, and they placed the statue on a pedestal that construction crews built in the United States while workers built the statue in France.
How Did the Pedestal Get Funded?
While France built the statue, the United States took on the task of constructing the pedestal on which it would stand. The cost of the pedestal proved to be a major obstacle. Although people launched fundraising campaigns in the U.S., the donations came in slowly. As the deadline for the statue’s arrival approached, the American Committee for the Statue of Liberty was still short on funds.
To raise the necessary money, newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer launched a public fundraising campaign through his newspaper The New York World. Pulitzer’s campaign was unique because it called upon everyday Americans to contribute whatever they could, regardless of the size of their donation. Pulitzer wrote, “The statue is meant to represent the people’s liberty, so it is only right that the people should contribute to its completion.” His appeal resonated with the American public, and over 120,000 people contributed to the campaign, many donating less than a dollar.
Pulitzer’s campaign raised over $100,000, more than enough to cover the remaining costs of the pedestal. Construction was completed just in time for the statue’s arrival, and it was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886.
The Dedication Ceremony and Public Reaction
The dedication of the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886, was a major event in American history. Organizers held a massive parade in New York City to celebrate the occasion, and thousands of people lined the streets to watch. President Grover Cleveland presided over the dedication ceremony, during which he stated, “Liberty has made her home here, and it is fitting that her chosen altar should stand at the gateway of this great nation.”
“Liberty has made her home here, and it is fitting that her chosen altar should stand at the gateway of this great nation.”
President Cleveland
The ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries from both the United States and France, including the French ambassador and representatives from the French-American Union. Bartholdi, who had overseen the reassembly of the statue, was also present at the ceremony.
The dedication marked the beginning of the statue’s role as a symbol of welcome for immigrants arriving in the United States. For millions of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in the years that followed, the Statue of Liberty was their first sight of America and a symbol of the new life they hoped to build in the land of opportunity.
What Does the Statue of Liberty Represent?
The Statue of Liberty has come to represent many things over the years. At its core, the statue symbolizes liberty and freedom, both for the United States and for the world. The torch that the statue holds aloft represents enlightenment, lighting the way toward freedom. The broken chains at her feet represent the triumph of liberty over tyranny and oppression.
In 1903, a plaque bearing the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus was installed inside the statue’s pedestal. Written in 1883, Lazarus’s poem redefined the statue’s meaning by linking it to the concept of America as a refuge for immigrants. The poem’s famous lines, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” have since become synonymous with the Statue of Liberty and its role as a symbol of hope for people seeking a new life in the United States.
The Statue’s Legacy and Preservation
The Statue of Liberty has undergone several rounds of restoration since it was first dedicated in 1886. One of the most significant renovations took place in the 1980s, in preparation for the statue’s 100th anniversary. During this restoration, workers replaced the statue’s torch and reinforced the internal iron framework to ensure the statue’s long-term stability.
The National Park Service currently maintains the statue and continues to monitor the structure for signs of wear and tear. In 2019, they opened a new museum on Liberty Island, providing visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the history and significance of the statue.
Conclusion
The Statue of Liberty stands as a powerful symbol of freedom and democracy. Funded by the people of France, the statue was a gift of friendship to the United States, and it continues to inspire people around the world. Today, millions of people visit the statue each year, marveling at its size and the ideals it represents.
Also Read:
Rosanna Pansino Accuses MrBeast of Pressuring Friends and Employees into Illegal Gambling
