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| Statue
of Liberty |
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The
Statue of Liberty was presented
by the people of France to the people
of the United States in 1886 to
honor the friendship between the
two nations. Today, it is recognized
as a symbol of liberty throughout
the world. The Statue of Liberty
National Monument officially celebrated
her 100th birthday on October 28,
1986. Sculptor Frederic Auguste
Bartholdi was commissioned to design
a sculpture with the year 1876 in
mind for completion, to commemorate
the centennial of the AmericanDeclaration
of Independence. |
The Statue was a joint effort between
America and France and it was agreed upon
that the American people were to build
the pedestal, and the French people were
responsible for the Statue and its assembly
here in the United States. However, lack
of funds was a problem on both sides of
the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public
fees, various forms of entertainment,
and a lottery were among the methods used
to raise funds. In the United States,
benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions,
auctions and prize fights assisted in
providing needed funds.
Meanwhile
in France, Bartholdi required the assistance
of an engineer to address structural
issues associated with designing such
a colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre
Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel
Tower) was commissioned to design the
massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal
framework which allows the Statue's
copper skin to move independently yet
stand upright. Back in America, fund
raising for the pedestal was going particularly
slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer (noted for
the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial
pages of his newspaper, "The World"
to support the fund raising effort.
Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize
both the rich who had failed to finance
the pedestal construction and the middle
class who were content to rely upon
the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's
campaign of harsh criticism was successful
in motivating the people of America
to donate.
Financing
for the pedestal was completed in August
1885, and pedestal construction was
finished in April of 1886. The Statue
was completed in France in July, 1884
and arrived in New York Harbor in June
of 1885 on board the French frigate
"Isere" which transported
the Statue of Liberty from France to
the United States. In transit, the Statue
was reduced to 350 individual pieces
and packed in 214 crates. The Statue
was re-assembled on her new pedestal
in four months time. On October 28th
1886, the dedication of the Statue of
Liberty took place in front of thousands
of spectators. She was a centennial
gift ten years late.
The
story of the Statue of Liberty and her
island has been one of change. The Statue
was placed upon a granite pedestal inside
the courtyard of the star-shaped walls
of Fort Wood (which had been completed
for the War of 1812.) The United States
Lighthouse Board had responsibility
for the operation of the Statue of Liberty
until 1901. After 1901, the care and
operation of the Statue was placed under
the War Department. A Presidential Proclamation
declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of
Liberty within it) a National Monument
on October 15th, 1924 and the monument's
boundary was set at the outer edge of
Fort Wood. In 1933, the care and administration
of the National Monument was transferred
to the National Park Service. On September
7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to
encompass all of Bedloe's Island and
in 1956, the island's name was changed
to Liberty Island. On May 11, 1965,
Ellis Island was also transferred to
the National Park Service and became
part of the Statue of Liberty National
Monument. In May of 1982, President
Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca
to head up a private sector effort to
restore the Statue of Liberty. Fundraising
began for the $87 million restoration
under a public/private partnership between
the National Park Service and The Statue
of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation,
Inc., to date the most successful public-private
partnership in American history. In
1984, at the start of the Statue's restoration,
the United Nations designated the Statue
of Liberty as a World Heritage Site.
On July 5, 1986 the newly restored Statue
re-opened to the public during Liberty
Weekend, which celebrated her centennial.
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