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The Statue of Liberty

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  Location: Liberty Island in New York Harbor, New York, NY U.S.A. (Continent of North America)
• Built by: French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel
• Date built: The unveiling was on October 28, 1886, and the statue was called “Liberty Enlightening the World” (“The Statue of Liberty” is a nickname) (almost 140 years ago)
• How long to build: It took about eight years to build and about four months to put back together
• Size: It is 305 ft (93 m) tall
• Weight: 450,000 lb (225 tons)
• This monument would honor the United State’s centennial of independence (100 years of freedom from England) and its friendship with France.
• Bartholdi came to America and spotted the current island it sits on now. Bartholdi thought this spot was the “Gateway to America.” He wanted the statue to welcome immigrants (people coming from another country) and visitors as they sailed into the harbor.
• It was built in France but put together in America. When the statue arrived in America, the workers failed to complete the base of the statue, and they assembled it almost a year later.
• When they brought over the statue, it was in 350 pieces and took about four months to assemble once it got to America.
• There are 7 points on her crown representing the world’s seven continents; each point is about 9 ft (3 m) long.
• Her tablet reads July IV, MDCCLXXVI (July 4th, 1776, the day America gained independence).
• On her feet, she has chains representing her freedom from oppression (unfair treatment).
• You can take tours of the island where she stands and go up into her crown.
• It is made out of copper. Why is it a greenish color now??