Statue of Liberty

Our presentation is about the Statue of Liberty Introduction The Statue of Liberty was built from 1871 till 1886 by a French sculptor, called Frederic Bartholdi. The Statue of Liberty was built because it was a symbol to welcome all the people who came to the United States. Also, it was a symbol for returning Americans, visitors and immigrants. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty has become a universal symbol of freedom and democracy and nowadays it’s a symbol of international friendship too. The Statue was a gift from the French people to the people of the United States as a recognition of the friendship between the French and the Americans during the American Revolution. Another reason for the gift was the celebration of 100 years of Independence. Location The Statue of Liberty can be found at Liberty Island, an island near the harbour of New York, that was formerly known as Bedlou. In 1935, the Statue and the island became a National Monument. Since then the name of the Island of Bedlou was changed in Liberty Island. A few years later Ellis Island also became a part of the Statue of Liberty monument. The only way to visit the island is to take the liberty ferry.
Symbol of freedom The Statue of Liberty is a symbol for two important human rights: freedom and equal opportunities for everybody. A lot of immigrants came to New York, often because there was a war in their country. The first thing they saw, when they came to New York, was the Statue of Liberty. For them, this was a symbol of the freedom of America. They were finally free. The torch is a symbol of the Enlightment. The seven rays of the Statue’s crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world. The tablet which the Statue holds in her left hand reads ‘July 4th’ 1776, that’s the date of the American Independence. Construction Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffeltower in Paris, also designed the Statue of Liberty. A French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi actually built the Statue. Bartholdi’s inspiration came from one of the wonders of the world, called The Kolossos of Rhodos. Gustave Eiffel used copper on a steel frame to make it robust against storms. The face of the Statue is the same as the face of Bartholdi’s mother. Richard Morris Hunt designed the pedestal, that was paid by the American people. The pedestal is 27 meters tall. The height from the bottom of the pedestal to the top of the torch is 93 meters. It took 15 years to built the Statue. It was built in Paris. It had to be transported in pieces to the United States of America. Visitors There was a big ceremony when the Statue was opened at October 28th 1886. In 1984 the building was restorated, because the Statue became very old and there was also a lot of rust. The Statue was cleaned. At that time it was closed for visitors. In 1986 the restoration was done and the Statue was re-opened. Until September 11 2001, as a result of the tragedy, the Statue was closed. From that time it isn’t possible anymore to go on the Statue’s crown and torch. Visitors now only have access to the Statue’s observation deck at the eleventh floor. Also the museum is open for visitors. The museum is in the pedestal of the building. In the museum you can see how the Statue was built and you can see all about the history of the building.