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Statue Of Liberty: Liberty Enlightening The World

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One of the most noticeable things that you see when you are entering the New York harbor is the enormous Statue of Liberty. It was given to the United States by the French as a symbol of friendship, however, there is great meaning behind the statue. The Statue of Liberty, officially “Liberty Enlightening the World”, was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and completed in July 1884 (“Liberty 1). The Statue of Liberty is a monumental sculpture, portraying a woman escaping the chains of tyranny, which lay at her feet. For over a century, the Statue of Liberty has stood valiantly in the open air, symbolizing freedom not only in America but throughout the world. She has held a patriotic place in each and every American heart since she was unveiled in October 1886 (Outman 363). She has greeted all the immigrants into Ellis Island, announcing the denouement of their journey to the "land of the free" (N.S.). Held aloft in her right hand is a flaming torch, representing liberty. Her left hand grasps a tablet …show more content…

It was the disassembled, packed in more than 200 crates, and shipped to New York, arriving that June aboard the French frigate Isere (History.com Staff). After arriving to the United States workers spent about four months reassembling the statue and mounting it on the pedestal. The statue’s height reached 305 feet (or 93 meters), including the pedestal (N.S.) . On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators (History.com Staff).

In 1892, the U.S. government opened a federal immigration station on Ellis Island, located near Bedloe’s Island in Upper New York Bay. Between 1892 and 1954, some 12 million immigrants were processed on Ellis Island before receiving permission to enter the United States. From 1900-14, during the peak years of its operation, some 5,000 to 10,000 people passed through every day (History.com

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