Liberty Enlightening the World

Let's take a break from the Revolution to recognize more of France's relationship with the United States.  France was our first ally, sending support to defeat the British army and win freedom of the American people.  Through the years, the relationship has been strained, but remains firm still today.

In the late 1800s, the statue was finally constructed in New York Harbor.  A gift from France, she was called Liberty Enlightening the World, and she commemorates freedom from oppression and tyranny.  Learn more below.

The New Collosus

Emma Lazarus wrote the poem below, in 1883, to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty.  Twenty years later, the poem was cast onto a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestal's lower level.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, with conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame, "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she with silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Statue Stats

Plus Size

For those of us who have never seen the Statue of Liberty in person, let's do some measurement on the playground to get some sense of how big she really is.  How shall we go about measuring these?

Height of statue 151 ft 1 in
Foundation of pedestal (ground level) to tip of torch
​     305 ft 1 in
Heel to top of head 111 ft 1 in
Height of hand 16 ft 5 in
Index finger 8 ft 1 in
Circumference at second joint
     3 ft 6 in
Chin to cranium 17 ft 3 in
Head thickness from ear to
     ear 10 ft
Distance across the eye 2 ft 6
​     in
Length of nose 4 ft 6 in
Right arm length 42 ft
Right arm greatest thickness
     12 ft

Thickness of waist 35 ft
Width of mouth 3 ft
Tablet, length 23 ft 7 in
Tablet, width 13 ft 7 in
Tablet, thickness 2 ft
Height of pedestal 89 ft
Height of foundation 65 ft
Weight of copper in statue
     60,000 pounds
Weight of steel in statue
     250,000 pounds
Total weight of statue 450,000
     pounds
Thickness of copper sheeting
     3/32 of an inch

Art Appreciation

Analyze the painting shown below.  Check out the details.

• What do you notice?
• What do you think is happening?
• What caused the scene in the painting?
• What might happen after the scene shown?
• What does this piece make you wonder?

Three Frenchmen

These three frenchmen helped get the statue from concept in France to reality in New York Harbor (taken from Wikipedia).

Édouard René Lefèbvre de Laboulaye was a French jurist, poet, author and anti-slavery activist. In 1865 he originated the idea of a monument presented by the French people to the United States that resulted in the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. He got the idea thinking that this would help strengthen their relationship with the United States.

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was a French sculptor who is best known for designing Liberty Enlightening the World, commonly known as the Statue of Liberty.

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale Paris, he made his name building various bridges for the French railway network, most famously the Garabit viaduct. He is best known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, and his contribution to building the Statue of Liberty in New York. After his retirement from engineering, Eiffel focused on research into meteorology and aerodynamics, making significant contributions in both fields.

While We're On the Subject

Learn more about the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower:

How Tall Is the Eiffel Tower?
Why Is the Statue of Liberty Green?