| What makes it historical? |
This American symbol of liberty was actually devised by a French anti-slavery activist named Edouard de Laboulaye in the final year of the Civil War! With sculptor, Auguste Bartholdi, at the helm, the statue officially titled “Liberty Enlightening the World” started to take shape in 1876!
The site of the statue would be on Bedloe’s Island, where it would be visible to everyone entering New York Harbor, and would face east to welcome new arrivals and to always watch the sun rise. It took eight years to create the parts of the statue, which were shipped to New York in 1885 before the pedestal was even completed! A year later, on October 28, 1886, the statue got its official unveiling, and it has welcomed folks to New York, and America, ever since! |
