The iconic Statue of Liberty was built in France, not in America.
Creation of the Statue of Liberty
This great monument was made to honor the friendship with France and to celebrate the United States’ centennial of independence. It was built as a tribute to those black soldiers in the civil war, and a black woman who served as the model for Lady Liberty.
Early Stages
The person who proposed to create this statue was none other than a French political intellectual and anti-slavery activist called Edouard de Laboulaye in 1865. This monument represented the United States’ independence and friendship with France.
1. In Which City the Statue of Liberty Is Located?
- A. Los Angeles
- B. Chicago
- C. New York
- D. San Francisco
French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi was very supportive of Laboulaye’s idea. They started to craft the design of the statue of “Liberty Enlightening the World” in 1870. While traveling to the United States, Bartholdi decided to choose Bedloe’s Island as a construction site.
Construction of the Statue of Liberty
In 1876, the construction of the statue has begun under Bartholdi’s supervision. Many French artisans and craftsmen were involved in the completion of this project. They finished the arm holding torch in 1876 and displayed it at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The head and shoulders were completed in 1878 and showed at the Paris Universal Exposition.
If you are curious to discover when the entire statue was erected, it was established between 1881-1884 and assembled in Paris.
To the United States
After the presentation of the statue, it was dismantled and shipped to the United States abroad the French Navy Ship, Isere. The bitter truth was the statue was not assembled properly and it stayed in Bedloe’s Island till 1886.
Once the statue was reassembled, the first part was restructured with the help of Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel’s iron framework.