The Story of the Statue

The Story of the Statue

Introduction The Statue of Liberty is the tallest statue in the United States. People around the world know this big green woman. Where did this work of art come from?

A Gift from France Mr. Laboulaye, an important man in France, wanted to help the United States celebrate100 years of independence. In 1865, he said France should give a gift to the United States. The gift was the Statue of Liberty.

First, a place needed to be found for the statue. A French artist, Mr. Bartholdi, said they should put it on an island near New York. The Americans thought about it and agreed. Then, Mr. Bartholdi made a small clay model of the statue. The French engineer, Mr. Eiffel, made sure the statue would be strong enough to last a long time.

The Statue Comes to Life Workers in France made the statue in pieces and then put it together. American workers built its base on the island. All of this work cost a lot of money. People from both countries gave money to help pay for it. In 1876, France sent the arm and torch of the statue to the United States. They were set up for everyone to see. When Americans saw the arm and torch, they got excited. They wanted to give even more money.

The arm and torch were sent back to France in 1882. The statue was put together in 1884. The inside was made of iron. The outside was made of over 300 sheets of copper. Then the statue was taken apart again! The pieces were sent to the United States on a ship.