The 19^th century marked the turning point in the history of the United States, as it had grown into a great nation partly thanks to its breakthrough in industrialization. The United States became the strongest in the world in industrial production. With this rise of industrialism, the landscape of the nation changed and millions of immigrants from western and eastern Europe poured into the US in search of better lives. This was made possible when the civil war ended in 1865, entitling New York as the gateway to social freedoms and economic opportunities.  To this very point, the city of New York became home to most American national heritages such as the famous historical and architectural monument “statue of liberty”.  

The history of the statue of liberty

The statue of liberty is one the American national treasures located in New York Harbour, on Liberty Island nearby Ellis Island, the former receiving station for immigrants. The statue, also called “Lady Liberty”, is an iconic figure that was designed to stand as a national symbol. She depicts a universal symbol of freedom, hope and dream and represents the United States itself. Indeed, the end of the civil war, which marked a new era for America, coincided with the construction and design of the statue that both stirred millions of worldwide immigrants’ desire for freedom and opportunities. As the lady liberty stood to gaze over immigrants from Europe arriving at Ellis Island through the early 20^th century, she fed their mind with new vision and hope. To them, the statue of liberty symbolized the American dream. In other respects, the statue was originally conceived as an emblem of the lasting friendship between the peoples of France and the United States. At the same time, it was a sign that represented the search for liberty. The idea of gifting a statue came from a Frenchman named Edouard de Laboulaye.  His ideas came up as an evidence of the close relationship between France and America, but Edouard wished also to commemorate the centennial of the declaration of the American independence. It is the French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi who conceptualized the colossal structure of the statue assisted by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the famed Eiffel Tower of Paris, who designed the statue’s massive structural framework.

The symbols hidden on lady liberty

The statue of liberty also known as “Liberty Enlightenening the world” is far much more than a simple architectural statue. It was perfectly designed with aesthetic and with much symbolism and hidden meanings. The statue was, for instance, modeled after the roman goddess of freedom or Libertas. The lady liberty’s official name “liberty enlightenening the world” was taken from the torch in her raised right hand, which represents the flambeau or the candle-flame that enlightens the path to liberty. Her crown in the form of diadem features her divinity and the seven spikes on it symbolize the sun rays that reflect the seven continents of the Earth. The tablet in lady liberty’s left hand and on which is inscribed with July 4, 1776 in roman numerals is called “tablet of law” and depicts the American Independence and the establishment of the US constitution. These are only few of the symbols that encompass the lady liberty but there are more other design details that symbolize much more.

Sources: HISTORY / statueofliberty.org / National Parc Service (nps.gov)