In this post, we go back over a century ago, to today’s date, June 17, 1885. It was this historic day that the Statue of Liberty was shipped to New York Harbour in 350 individual pieces, a gift of friendship from the French people. The statue was gifted to commemorate the American Revolution and a century of good relations with the French and American people and was originally intended to be finished by 1876 for the US’s 100th anniversary. The statue, which was assembled a year later, became a symbol of freedom and democracy.

 

The Statue was designed in France by the French Sculptor, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and was modelled after the sculptor’s own mother. Initially intended to be finished in 1876, the project faced fundraising issues that delayed construction.  Finally being completed in Paris in the summer of 1884, the statue, a robed female holding a torch, was shipped off in parts to New York Harbour where it arrived on June 17th, 1885. On October 28, 1886, the statue was officially dedicated by President Cleveland who said “We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected.” At the time the statue was erected, it was the tallest structure in New York City, standing at more than 305 feet. Initially, the statue had a copper colour, but over the years underwent a natural colour change process named patination that lead to the statue’s current green-blue hue.

In 1892, Ellis Island, which was renamed Liberty Island in 1956, opened as America’s chief immigration station, and for the following 62 years, Lady Liberty watched over more than 12 million immigrants who would sail into New York harbour with dreams of a new life. A plaque was inscribed with a sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus in 1903. The now-famous words, which include “Give me your tired, your poor/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” became the symbol for America’s vision of itself as a land of opportunity for immigrants.

 

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge designated the statue a national monument and some 60 years after that, the statue underwent a multi-million dollar restoration. This included a new torch and a gold leaf-coloured flame. In 2001, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, the statue was closed to the public. The base, pedestal and observation deck reopened in 2004, and the crown was opened again in 2009.

 

Today the Statue of Liberty remains one of the United State’s most famous landmarks. It has been the site of countless protests and political rallies, has been featured in movies and photographs, and attracts millions of visitors around the globe.

 

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History.com Editors. “This Day in History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 21 Aug. 2018, www.history.com/this-day-in-history.