Lady Liberty's Rough Welcome

The story of the Statue of Liberty is the story of a colossal sculpture that nearly didn't happen, a story of surrogate patriotism and love of liberty that originated in France and found its place in the American dream. And it's a story that many 19th-century Americans didn't find compelling at all.

In 1865, two Frenchmen, statesman Edouard de Laboulaye and sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, conceived the idea of creating a magnificent statue to present to the people of the United States as a celebration of the American Declaration of Independence and as a reminder that there were still many in France who cherished liberty. France had long since lapsed from a republic to the autocratic rule of Napoleon III, but its republican patriots remained determined.

Members, read this article now

Get it as an easy-print PDF