Towering over 300 feet above New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty has welcomed millions of immigrants. Often leaving family and friends behind, emigres saw Lady Liberty as a sign of freedom and boundless hope for the future. Representing over 200 countries from all over the world, people from all walks of life have chosen to make America their home.

Since being inaugurated in 1886, the Statue of Liberty has come to represent freedom from tyranny and the greatness of the American Dream. In addition to welcoming immigrants and visitors to America, today, the Statue of Liberty and the surrounding island receives 5 million visitors a year.

Honoring the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, the statue was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. As an ally of the American Revolution, France supported the fight against Great Britain. The French government commissioned French artist and sculptor Fredric-Augusta Bartholdi. Since the copper shell of the statue would require a skeleton of steel, Bartholdi hired the architect of the Eiffel Tower, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, to design and oversee construction of the massive steel framework.

Two Pennies for Your Thoughts

At a glance, the exterior surface of Lady Liberty appears thick and strong. In fact, the copper skin of the statue is no thicker than two pennies or about three thirty seconds of an inch. The total weight of the copper used to sculpt the skin of the statue is over 30 tons.

Some Assembly Required

Like a huge assembly kit, the massive statue was made up of 350 pieces. Shipping the steel skeleton and copper skin from France meant packing the kit in over 200 crates and loading the crates aboard a French frigate. It would take from 1884 until the summer of 1885 for the completed statue to arrive in New York. While the statue and the framework was being built in France, the enormous pedestal was being constructed on the island that was formerly known as Fort Wood.

Construction of the pedestal was completed in the spring of 1886. Assembly of the steel skeleton and copper skin took four months to complete with the statue being officially dedicated in 1886.

Some Facts about Lady Liberty

During a major restoration in the 1980s, the copper flame of the torch was given a beautiful coating of 24-carat gold leaf. Like a guiding light, the torch is a symbol of tolerance and enlightenment. The addition of special lighting gives the flame the appearance of being lit. The tablet held by Lady Liberty symbolizes a book of law and is inscribed with the date July 4, 1776 in roman numerals. The inscription is a reference to the American Declaration of Independence. The crown worn by Lady Liberty prominently features seven points. Each point or ray of light represents the seven continents and the seven seas of the world.