It is beyond imagination to think there might be someone who is unaware of the great Statue of Liberty. It is a gigantic and majestic sculptor that attracts more than 4.5 million visitors a year from the whole world. But have you ever wondered what was the story behind the construction of this statue and what value does it hold for the people of the United States and France?
Well, let us explore the same but before that, let’s look at the details of the Statue of Liberty.
Construction and Details of the Statue
It is made from copper and is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York City, in the United States. Between 1875 and 1884, the Statue of Liberty was built in France. It was disassembled and delivered in 1885 to New York City. While the torch has been revamped or rebuilt numerous times since its construction, the monument was reassembled on Liberty Island in 1886.
Libertas, the figure of the statue is a robed Roman Goddess of Liberty who stands 305 feet high including its pedestal. In her right hand, she holds a torch over her head and bears a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVIVI in her left hand (July 4, 1776, in Roman). On a closer look, one can also see a broken shackle and a chain at the foot of the statue.
The torch, measuring 29 feet from the top of the blaze to the bottom of the handle, can be reached via the 42-foot service ladder within the arm. From 1886 to 1916, this climb was open to the public but closed later on.
History of the Statue
The Statue of Liberty was built to commemorate the friendship between the United States and France. It was a present from the French people after the American Revolution to celebrate France's and the United States' coalition. Yet, to those people who suggested the gift, it meant much more.
The idea for the present was proposed by Edouard de Laboulaye a French political thinker, U.S. Constitution expert, and abolitionist in 1865. He was an honorary member of the Union League Club. The Union League Club was a group of people who were dedicated to the new Republican Party, the Union's cause in the Civil War, and the abolition of slavery.
The Idea Behind
Laboulaye's wishes for independence and equality became a possibility in the United States with the abolition of slavery and the triumph of the Union in the Civil War in 1865. To honor these accomplishments and to commemorate the friendship between the United States and France, it was presented as a symbol of the perseverance of freedom and democracy in the United States and to honor the work of the late president Abraham Lincoln.
He hoped that by bringing into attention these achievements, the people of France would also be inspired by them to abolish the tyrannical monarchy and adopt a democratic form of government.
A Controversial Idea
Liberty was a controversial idea as it was interpreted as violence and revolution to many in the 19th century. Laboulaye wanted the monument to be rather seen as a symbol of lawful and peaceful means of lighting the way forward. The aim was to make it different from the prevailing ideology related to monuments as above conservatism and liberalism as well as above radical revolutions and political turmoil.
To put the idea into reality, Laboulaye talked with many influential figures of France until he met Auguste Bartholdi, who supported his idea and was selected as the sculptor. Thus the construction, funding, and other works related to the monument started.
Symbol of Immigrants Arrival?
Lady Liberty was designed to celebrate the end of the inhuman practice of slavery, not the arrival of immigrants which is a popular opinion among the masses. An early model, circa 1870, portrays Lady Liberty in the place we are familiar with, lifted and lighting the world with a torch with her right arm. Yet in her left hand, she carries torn shackles, an homage to the end of slavery.
The fractured shackle and the rope lay at the right foot of the statue. Under the draperies, the chain disappears, only to reappear in front of her left foot, her end-link cut. However, while the broken shackle is a powerful picture, for African Americans in 1886 the sense behind it was not yet a fact as racism and discrimination towards them never took a downturn. For them, the statute was just a symbol of constant pain and not democracy and equality.
However, it still stands as a reminder to follow the path of democratic principles and freedom for all. It is not just a beautiful monument of copper but also holds emotional and patriotic importance in the heart of the public.
Read this article to know about the Importance of History.
Also, read about the Top 10 Most Famous Historical Monuments of India.
Written By - Bhanu Jain
Edited By - Kashish Chadha
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