Statue
of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognized
symbols of American freedom anywhere. Standing tall on Liberty Island
in the middle the of the Hudson River in New York City Harbor, the
Statue of Liberty was given to the U. S. by the French in 1886.
The French gave the Statue of Liberty, or Statue de la Liberté,
to the United States as a token of friendship.
Statue of Liberty |
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The Statue of Liberty has greeted immigrants coming into the U.
S. since that time. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, creator of the Eiffel
Tower, designed the interior structure, while Frederic Auguste Bartholdi
was the sculptor. Made of copper, the statue depicts Lady Liberty
standing tall with the torch of freedom raised with her right arm.
Her left hand holds a stone tablet close to her. The tablet contains
the date July 4, 1776, which acknowledges and commemorates the American
Declaration of Independence.
The Statue of Liberty is 151 feet tall and is made from pure copper
on a steel framework. Lady Liberty's thorny crown has seven points
representing the seven seas. The torch represents a burning passion
for freedom and contains a flame that is coated in gold leaf. The
broken shackles at the base of Lady Liberty's feet represent freedom
from oppression.
The Statue of Liberty is one of the first glimpses that most immigrants
throughout history have gotten of America when migrating through
the famed and nearby Ellis Island. While some have reported over
the years that the Statue of Liberty is smaller than originally
thought, just as many have also reported that she is actually
larger than anticipated. Like a build up to an acclaimed movie,
sometimes expectations are high and its hard for any one thing
to live up to the buildup.
Since 1886, the Statue Of Liberty has received a new torch.
The old torch received many modifications and repairs over the
years in order to keep it solid and sound. However, in 1916 there
were extensive modifications and the torch was eventually deemed
to be beyond further repair. So, the original torch with gold
leaf was moved inside the Statue of Liberty to the monument's
museum.
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The new torch also has gold plating applied
and includes a climate control system and elevators as well.
The new torch was reopening to the public in 1986.
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The Statue of Liberty remains and enduring symbols of American
freedom that people from the U. S. and abroad feel compelled to
visit.
As one of the most symbolic gestures of all time, the Statue
of Liberty represents, freedom, liberty, justice and also the
friendship of foreign nations who also believe in freedom and
fair and equal treatment for all.
Why not take a trip to New York and see the Statue of Liberty
for yourself up close and personal? This will be a moment you'll
never forget or regret. And take lots of pictures and video while
you're at it.
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