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Statue of Liberty
National Monument,
New York
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Statue of Liberty National Monument, NPS photo
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The
face of Lady Liberty, NPS Photo
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Standing at the entrance to New York harbor is a 151-foot statue of a woman holding
a book and a raised torch. "Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from
the people of France to the United States to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth
of liberty in the United States and the end of slavery after the American Civil War.
After Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi
prefabricated the figure in Paris by molding sheets of cooper over a stainless-steel framework,
it was shipped to the United States in 214 crates in 1885. The pedestal was designed by Richard
Morris Hunt and funded through American fundraising. The sculptor intended his work to be an immense
and impressive symbol of human liberty. It inspired the millions of immigrants who came to the United
States in the early 20th century seeking freedom and fulfillment of their dreams. It is one of
the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy in the world and is embraced frequently
by advocates of self-gorvernance around the globe.
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Statue of Liberty National Monument, NPS photo
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Inscribed in 1984 as a Cultural site, under Criteria C (i) and (vi).
Links
Statue of Liberty National Monument
World Heritage Convention
