Who gave America a statue of liberty? How was the statue of liberty used?

The most famous symbol of America is the sculpture of "Freedom, illuminating the world". Many are aware that it was a gift from France, but very few people know which country still participated in its creation, albeit indirectly.

Also from the article you can learn about some interesting facts related to the construction, installation and operation of the statue. And also you will become aware of the names of those who put a lot of effort into creating the monument.

What was the gift

It is known who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But what was this gift devoted to? In 1876, France decided to present a present for the centennial of US independence. Funds for this idea had to be collected over the years. This was attended by the French and Americans. But while the statue was established, several years passed, and the anniversary of independence has already passed.

"Lady Liberty" holds in her hand a tablet on which the date of signing the Declaration of Independence is written in Latin , namely "July, 4, 1776". In 1883, the statue was dedicated to the sonnet of Emma Lazarus "New Colossus". The lines from it were engraved on the plate in 1903 and attached to the pedestal of the sculpture.

History of creation

The history of the Statue of Liberty began with the decision of France to entrust this work to the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Next, the countries agreed that the pedestal will be built by the forces of America, and the sculpture - at the expense of the French. Who else participated in the creation of the gift?

Your attention - the list of those who gave America the Statue of Liberty:

• Frederick Bartholdy designed the look and gave his wishes about where to place the "Lady Liberty" better;
• Gustave Eiffel and his assistant Maurice Kehlin created blueprints of a steel massive support and supporting frame;
• Richard Morris designed a pedestal to sculpture;
• General William Sherman chose a place for the statue;
• Ulysses Grant is the president of the United States, who supported the idea of creating a symbol of Freedom.

The construction of the sculpture was completed in 1884. It was delivered in disassembled form on the frigate "Isere" to the New York harbor in a year. It took more than two hundred boxes. The assembly took four months, and the official opening took place on 28.10.1886. Despite the fact that by the centennial anniversary the gift was late for ten years, many guests of honor, including US President Grover Cleveland, gathered to open it. If it had not been for such a belated opening of the monument, then the people of America heard a congratulatory speech from Richard Nixon, who also held this post on 04.07.1976.

Russian Footprint

In addition to the French and Americans, according to some sources, Russians are also involved in sculpture. Copper sheets that covered it were purchased in Russia. They were manufactured at the Nizhny Tagil factory. However, many researchers have already been able to refute this fact. The fact is that in Nizhny Tagil in those days the railway was not yet laid. The researchers concluded that copper was delivered from Norway, although there is no documentary evidence for this.

Who gave America the Statue of Liberty? Regardless of whether this was a Russian or Norwegian trail, it was the French people who initiated and created the symbol of freedom.

Selecting a location for installation

Where is the Statue of Liberty today? As at the time of its installation, it is located on an island three kilometers to the southwest of Manhattan (its southern part), which is in New York. Before the appearance of the statue, he was called the Bedlough Island. After putting on it a French gift, the people began to call it Liberty Island. In 1956 he was officially renamed.

Using the statue

For the entire period of its existence, the well-known symbol of America was not just an architectural monument. Initially, it was planned to be used as a beacon. Practice has shown that the lamps in the torch were weak and ineffective. From the unit that operated the lighthouses, the figure was transferred to the military department, and later the service, which was engaged in national parks.

By 1924, the exhibit became the National Monument of the United States, and was later included in the UNESCO list.

How was the Statue of Liberty used in different years? She had the following hypostases:

• lighthouse;
• Museum;
• observation deck.

For all time of existence of a figure it was repaired many times, but the most global works were spent in 1938 and 1984.

Interesting Facts

The reader already knows who gave the Statue of Liberty to America. But very few people know that the sculpture depicts the ancient Greek goddess Hecate (on this some historians agree). This goddess was the mistress of hell, and the torch was used by her in the underworld. In addition, she was considered the patroness of witchcraft, insanity, insanity, obsession. Hecate was depicted with horns on the head, but they can be seen at the statue in the form of rays of light. Although it is believed that in fact Bartholdi embodied the image of the ancient Roman goddess Libertas.

The right hand, holding the torch, crossed the Atlantic Ocean three times. For the first time it was transported to Philadelphia in 1884 for the World Exhibition, then returned. The third time the hand swam across the ocean with all the other parts of the statue.

After the events of September 11, 2001, access to the island and to the symbol of America was closed. By 2012, access was completely open, right up to the crown. You can go up the stairs or on the elevator. To reach the crown, you need to go through 356 steps. On the viewing platform, 25 windows have been created, from which you can see the harbor.

There are many small copies in the world. For example, in Paris, Tokyo, as well as over two hundred copies are in America itself.

It is believed that the number of rays on the crown symbolizes seven continents, according to the western geographical tradition.

By 1886, the torch was badly destroyed by corrosion and replaced with a new one, which was covered with 24 gold samples.