7 Statue of Liberty facts for kids
Introduction
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous statues globally. People from across the world come to America to take a picture with this statue. This statue stands at Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City.
There is a lot of history behind this statue. The French People gifted the Statue of Liberty to the Americans. This gift signified the commemoration of American independence on July 4th, 1776. France and America put in efforts to build the Statue of Liberty. The two countries also signed an agreement for building this statue. The agreement said that the Americans would help in making the pedestal. The French were responsible for the statue and its assembly in the USA.
It is said that The Statue of Liberty is a representation of America. This statue is also the pride of America and showcases its history.
This article is filled with a lot of interesting facts about this statue. Read on to know more!
What is the official name of the Statue of Liberty?
The real and official name of the Statue of Liberty is Liberty Enlightening the World. The Statue of Liberty is only a nickname.
When was the Statue of Liberty built? Who was the sculptor?
The Statue of Liberty was built between 1875 and 1884. It was sculpted by a French sculptor named Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. He began designing this statue in 1870. In 1865, he suggested the idea of giving an incredible gift from France to America. This thought inspired him to sculpt this statue.
Where is the Statue of Liberty Located?
The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay, off the coast of New York City.
Statue of Liberty Description
If you view the Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn Bridge, it will look tiny for you. However, when you get closer to it, you will realize how huge it is! From its pedestal to the tip, it weighs around 450,000-pounds. The statue is 305 feet long. The face of the statue itself is more than 8 feet tall. From the pedestal to the head, there are 154 steps. The waistline of the statue is 35 feet. The tablet on the statue has an inscription. It reads JULY IV MDCCLXXVI. This reads the day the statue was brought to America, July 4th, 1776.
The Statue is made up of copper. So, why is it green in color? The statue is green in color due to weather conditions on copper. The copper torch was replaced in 1986 with a torch with a 24-carat gold overlay.
What does the Statue of Liberty represent?
The features of the Statue of Liberty have a significant meaning. There are broken shackles at the feet of Liberty. This represents breaking away from oppression and autocracy. There are seven rays on her crown. This represents the seven continents. These rays are each 9 feet long and weigh about 150 pounds. There are 25 windows in her crown. These windows depict the gemstones found on earth and heaven’s rays which bless the world. The torch that the statue holds also has a deep meaning. It is understood to be illuminating the path towards freedom. During the day, it reflects the sun. During the night, it is illuminated by sixteen floodlights. The statue represents the spirit of America. It showcases the importance and beauty of freedom from oppression. This statue is a reservoir of America’s long history.
7 interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty
1. A mother inspired the Face of the Statue of Liberty
Bartholdi was inspired by his mother when making the Statue of Liberty. His own wife inspired the statue’s torso and arms. The face of his own mother inspired the stern face of the statue. His mother’s name was Augusta Charlotte Bartholdi. Her face has been immortalized into one of the most famous statues in the world.
Read our article on Christ the Redeemer Facts.
2. Some parts of the statue arrived in America early
The Statue of Liberty arrived in America in different parts and not as one whole statue. Just the hands and the statue’s torch sat at Madison Park for over six years in New York! This was done so that Americans could start their own donations for the statue. Photographs of the statue were sold as souvenirs. People were even allowed to pay to stand on the torch balcony. This could be done by climbing a ladder. This is definitely a one-of-a-kind kind of crowdsourcing and advertising.
3. The statue was supposed to be a lighthouse
The statue was not just supposed to be a symbol of freedom. The Statue of Liberty was supposed to be a lighthouse too! When they announced the building of the statue, the US government had an idea. They opined that the statue could also be used to guide sailors into the New York harbor. Bartholdi had to execute multiple plans to make this happen. Eventually, he decided to cut up the windows in the flame torch. Here, he installed electric lights inside the torch.
A week after it was installed, the then-president Grover Cleveland established the lighthouse board. This board was in charge of the lighting operations of the statue. While it might seem like a great idea, the reality was not the same. Lighting up the statue is extremely expensive. The statue proved to be useless as a lighthouse. After dark, it was impossible to see its light even from Manhattan. Hence, in 1902 this idea of it being a lighthouse was discontinued.
Also Read: New York State History
4. The opening day of the statue was ten years late
Initially, the statue was supposed to be opened for the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The goal was to gift the statue to America in 1876. However, due to slow fundraising, construction delays, debates on the design, etc., the official opening happened only on October 28th, 1886.
5. The cost of the pedestal is almost the same as the statue
This was another reason why there was a delay in the building/opening of the statue. It took a lot of time the building of the pedestal. France took responsibility for the statue. The USA has to take care of building the pedestal. This was a challenging task for the country. The statue arrived by ship on the New York coast. When it arrived, the pedestal was not even halfway built.
The biggest problem here was raising the money needed for building the pedestal. Raising money in America had proven to be more difficult than raising money in France. The construction of the pedestal was over the budget. Hence, it took a lot of time for this.
Joseph Pulitzer, a famous journalist, stepped in to make this happen faster. He promised that donating money for the pedestal would get the person’s name printed in the newspaper. This campaign turned out to be highly successful. Over $100,000 was collected for building the pedestal. When the pedestal was being made, other parts of the statue waited in crates.
6. There is an old war fort under the pedestal of the statue
There was a massive structure on Liberty Island before the statue was installed. There is a star-shaped building under the pedestal. This is known as the Fort Wood. It was built even before the Statue of Liberty was planned. It was built during the war of 1812 against the British. The American troops installed different forts all over New York. This was to protect the city from invasion. These forts helped because the British never attacked the harbor. The fort looks like part of the pedestal and statue today. The stone of the pedestal was chosen to match the fort’s color. This shows the mastery in the creation of the statue.
Also Read: World War 1 Facts
7. The statue has a new museum
The National Park Service opened the Statue of Liberty Museum. This museum was established on May 16, 2019. It is set apart from the statue. An immersive theater, a gallery for engagement, and an inspiration gallery are among its features. The museum also has the original torch of the Statue of Liberty.
Conclusion
The Statue of Liberty has a long history attached to it. Its secrets and trivia make it even more beautiful. These are just a handful of interesting facts about this magnificent statue. Several other facts about this statue will leave you shocked. We hope that this article has given you all the interesting facts that you need about this beautiful statue!