It was one hundred and thirty three years ago today that the Statue of Liberty was unveiled. The official name given to her by the sculptor is The statue of liberty enlightening the word. We were all taught that the statue is a gift from the French but that isn't exactly true. Bartoli, the sculptor, petitioned several nations for funding to build her. Lady Liberty could just as easily been at the Suez canal in Egypt. It is true that the French people did fund the building of the statue through various means. It was quite the struggle for him to get the money. When the statue was complete and New Yorks' Bedloe Island chosen as the location funds were required for the pedestal, America was to provide that. President Grant authorized the use of Bedloe Island, formerly a fort. In order for the government to fund the project, it had to have a use. It was decided it would act as a lighthouse. It was a lawyers use of the law to justify spending. There was a light in the torch but never bright enough to be an effective beacon.
Congress wasn't overly enthusiastic about the project in general. The pedestal was going to be expensive. Various fundraisers were organized. Now Lady Liberty wasn't as popular as one would think. This was a time before women had the right to vote, Suffragettes protested a giant Lady standing in the harbor of a country where they had few rights! A valid argument I would say. It was for one of these fund raisers that the poet Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet. The words most of us know are only the last few sentences, the sonnet is much longer. It is not a mission statement of the United States! Joseph Pulitzer, yeah that Pulitzer, offered to print the name of every donor in his paper the New York World, even if they only donated a penny. That was a great success as people just wanted to see their name in print.
The statue is covered in symbolism. These symbols were " modified " from the original design to accommodate the United States of America. That's the reason the date of our independence is on the tablet she holds. It's also the reason there is a broken chain at her feet. That symbolizes America abolishing slavery, a symbol of freedom. We have created a great story about the statue. We have given new meaning to the words in that sonnet. An interesting fact is, when the statue was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland only two women were in attendance on the island. Suffragettes had rented boats and circled the island shooting protests.
It's interesting to read about what the political climate at the tine was. It's also interesting to compare that to what we were taught and what is being taught today. The city of Boston had considered taking the Statue away when New Yorkers were failing to raise funds for the pedestal. Philadelphia had the arm on display for the Centennial Exhibition. The New York Times reported that the statue had been suspended due to lack of funds. It described the arm as " isolated and useless. " When it was known that Boston was attempting to " take " the statue from New York pride stepped up! New York wasn't going to allow that to happen. They didn't want the statue but, by God, Boston wasn't going to get it! Yes, even then there was jealousy and fighting among the various states. New Yorkers responded and the rest is, as they say, history. The basic feeling was, I don't want it but you can't have it!
Congress wasn't overly enthusiastic about the project in general. The pedestal was going to be expensive. Various fundraisers were organized. Now Lady Liberty wasn't as popular as one would think. This was a time before women had the right to vote, Suffragettes protested a giant Lady standing in the harbor of a country where they had few rights! A valid argument I would say. It was for one of these fund raisers that the poet Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet. The words most of us know are only the last few sentences, the sonnet is much longer. It is not a mission statement of the United States! Joseph Pulitzer, yeah that Pulitzer, offered to print the name of every donor in his paper the New York World, even if they only donated a penny. That was a great success as people just wanted to see their name in print.
The statue is covered in symbolism. These symbols were " modified " from the original design to accommodate the United States of America. That's the reason the date of our independence is on the tablet she holds. It's also the reason there is a broken chain at her feet. That symbolizes America abolishing slavery, a symbol of freedom. We have created a great story about the statue. We have given new meaning to the words in that sonnet. An interesting fact is, when the statue was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland only two women were in attendance on the island. Suffragettes had rented boats and circled the island shooting protests.
It's interesting to read about what the political climate at the tine was. It's also interesting to compare that to what we were taught and what is being taught today. The city of Boston had considered taking the Statue away when New Yorkers were failing to raise funds for the pedestal. Philadelphia had the arm on display for the Centennial Exhibition. The New York Times reported that the statue had been suspended due to lack of funds. It described the arm as " isolated and useless. " When it was known that Boston was attempting to " take " the statue from New York pride stepped up! New York wasn't going to allow that to happen. They didn't want the statue but, by God, Boston wasn't going to get it! Yes, even then there was jealousy and fighting among the various states. New Yorkers responded and the rest is, as they say, history. The basic feeling was, I don't want it but you can't have it!
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