The Story Behind The Statue of Liberty: A French Gift to America

by Marco Flores, age 10

The Statue of Liberty has appeared in countless forms of media since it was first unveiled in the United States in 1886. Surprisingly, the statue does not originate from the U.S. it was a gift from France to symbolize friendship and shared ideals of freedom. The project was originally conceived by French political thinker Édouard René de Laboulaye, who wanted to celebrate America’s independence and liberty. He enlisted the sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, who brought the vision to life.

Frédéric Bartholdi was inspired by the concept of liberty, drawing on the famous painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix. Bartholdi collaborated with the engineer Gustave Eiffel, who designed the statue’s internal iron support structure, while Bartholdi focused on the external design. Interestingly, Bartholdi had initially planned to create a lighthouse for the Suez Canal in Egypt in the form of a towering figure holding a torch, but he adapted this idea for the Statue of Liberty.

The statue was completed in France in 1884, and on July 4 of that year, it was symbolically presented as a gift from France to the U.S. However, the statue didn’t arrive in New York until the following year, and it was formally unveiled on October 28, 1886. Today, the Statue of Liberty stands as a world-famous symbol of freedom, welcoming over 4 million visitors each year.

[Source: 100 Wonders of the World]