Why was the Statue of Liberty built?


               The Statue of Liberty which is one of the world’s tallest was built to celebrate the birth of the United States of America. It was a gift from the French people to the Americans symbolizing the spirit of liberty, friendship and fraternity. This Statue stands on Bedloe’s Island, now called Liberty Island, at the mouth of New York harbour. This was put here as desired by its sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.



               The plan for this monument was made by the famous French historian Edouard de Laboulaye after the American civil war. The cost of the statue was met by the French people, while the money for the 150 ft pedestal was raised in the United States. The statue was made of copper sheets. In 1885, the complete statue, 152 feet high and weighing 225 tons was shipped to New York City. It was put on the pedestal at Bedloe’s Island and dedicated to the nation by President Grover Cleveland on Oct. 28, 1886.



               The total height of this monument from the pedestal upto the torch is 305 feet. It represents a women wearing a robe and holding a burning torch aloft in her right hand. The left hand holds a tablet bearing the date of American Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). At night the statue is floodlit and the torch shines with a powerful light. An elevator rises to the balcony level, and a spiral staircase leads to an observation platform in the figure’s crown.



               The statue was at first administered by the Lighthouse Board, because the illuminated torch was considered as a navigational aid. In 1901 the statue was transferred to the War Department. In 1924, it was declared a National monument. In 1956 Bedloe’s Island was renamed as Liberty Island.



               This colossal statue stands as a symbol of freedom and equality. The French people made this gift to the Americans on the 100th anniversary of US independence.