The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic symbols of the United States of America

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic symbols of the United States of America and the world. Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the statue was gifted to the United States by France in 1886 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of American independence.

The statue is a female figure representing Liberty, holding a torch in one hand and a book in the other. Her head is covered by a crown with seven points, representing the seven seas and seven continents of the world. At her feet is a base with a Latin inscription that reads "Annuit Coeptis," meaning "God approves of our endeavors."

The idea to build a statue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of American independence was first proposed in 1865 by a group of French intellectuals. Among them was Edouard de Laboulaye, a historian and jurist who had great admiration for the United States and its constitution. Laboulaye hoped that the statue could be a gift of peace and friendship from France to the United States and a symbol of liberty and democracy.

The project was entrusted to Frédéric Bartholdi, a French sculptor who had already worked on many important monuments in France. Bartholdi decided to make a statue more than 93 meters tall, representing a free and independent woman. To give shape to his idea, Bartholdi was inspired by a Greek goddess of mythology, the goddess of liberty Electra.

In 1871, Bartholdi presented his project for the statue to the French government, which approved it and promised to fund its construction. However, the project suffered a serious delay due to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and lack of funds. Despite these obstacles, Bartholdi continued to work on the project and in 1875 presented a scale model of the statue at the Universal Exposition in Paris.

In 1876, the United States celebrated its 100th anniversary of independence and the statue was still not complete. However, Bartholdi did not give up and continued to work on the statue, hoping to complete it in time for the centenary in 1883. In 1881, the statue was almost complete and Bartholdi decided to bring it to the United States to be exhibited at the International Cotton Exposition in New Orleans. The statue was a huge success and helped to raise funds for its completion.

Finally, in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was completed and officially presented to the United States by France. It was shipped to New York and assembled on Liberty Island, where it stands today as a symbol of freedom and hope for people all over the world.