The Statue of Liberty

A symbol of the American ideals of freedom, inspiration and hope, the Statue of Liberty has welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States since 1886. She stands proudly within view of Ellis Island, the U.S.’s most famous immigration center, at the entrance of New York Harbor.

A gift from France, designed by sculptor Frederic Bartholdi and engineered by Gustave Eiffel, the statue celebrated the centennial of American independence on July 4, 1876. 

Oxidized copper plating that makes up the statue gives Lady Liberty her iconic green hue. After years of damage and modifications, her golden torch was replaced in the mid 1980’s with a more faithful reconstruction of Bartholdi’s original design. 

Broken shackles at her feet allude to the abolition of slavery in 1865. Her tablet is inscribed with July 4, 1776, the date of the Declaration of Independence. Her spiked crown evokes images of the sun’s rays, and her torch is a symbol of enlightenment, earning her the name Liberty Enlightening the World. 

—Prepared by the World Tribune staff