President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty as a gift from
the people of France on what is now known as Liberty Island in New York Harbor.
Statue of Liberty Dedicated Oct. 28, 1886
By ANDREW GLASS
On this date in 1886, President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty as a gift from the people of France on what is now known as Liberty Island in New York Harbor.
The 151-foot statue, designated as a national monument in 1924 and restored for its centennial in 1986, serves as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.
Congress authorized the placement of the venture in 1877. William Tecumseh Sherman, a Civil War hero, chose the site in keeping with the wishes of the sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who consulted Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower, to deal with the complex structural issues.
An agreement stipulated that Americans were to fund the 154-foot granite pedestal and foundation while the French would take responsibility for the statue itself. However, money problems on both sides of the Atlantic delayed the project. In France, a lottery helped raise funds, while in the United States, the money came from theatrical benefits, art shows, auctions and prize fights.
The statue, made of copper sheeting hung on an iron framework, depicts a robed woman holding a torch. The flame of the torch is coated in gold leaf. Its classical appearance is derived from Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression and tyranny. Seven spikes on the crown evoke the Seven Seas and the seven continents. Lady Liberty’s torch signifies enlightenment. She holds a tablet that represents knowledge and notes the date of the Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the statue has remained closed to the public. The National Park Service maintains that fire regulations and potential evacuation problems, rather than the threat of a terrorist attack, make it necessary to keep it shut. The 10-story pedestal and museum, however, are open to visitors.
Source: www. www.StatueofLiberty.org
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