The Statue of Liberty is the most famous immigrant in American history. You likely know she holds a torch and a tablet, but her history is full of surprises. She arrived in hundreds of crates like a giant puzzle. Furthermore, she was originally a shiny copper color before the air changed her. She even survived an explosion caused by saboteurs in 1916. Let’s explore the life of Lady Liberty.
Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty was not originally green when it arrived in New York. In fact, it was made of shiny copper, so it looked like a brand new penny. Over time, chemical reactions with the air turned it into the green verdigris color we see today.
You have not been able to visit the torch since 1916. German spies blew up a nearby munitions depot during World War I, and shrapnel damaged the arm. Consequently, the ladder to the torch remains closed to the public for safety reasons.
Gustave Eiffel designed the metal skeleton inside the statue. Before he built his famous tower in Paris, he created the flexible spine that allows Lady Liberty to stand. Thus, the statue shares its engineering DNA with the Eiffel Tower.
Broken chains lie at her feet, but you cannot see them from the ground. These chains represent the end of slavery and oppression in the United States. The sculptor included them to celebrate the abolition of slavery after the Civil War.
The seven spikes on her crown represent the seven seas and seven continents. This design choice symbolizes the idea of liberty spreading across the entire globe. Therefore, she is not just a symbol for America, but for the whole world.
Auguste Bartholdi reportedly used Charlotte Beysser Bartholdi as the visual inspiration for the stern expression. However, some historians argue it might be his brother.
Lightning strikes the monument roughly 600 times every year. The massive copper structure acts as a perfect lightning rod during storms in the harbor. Photographers occasionally capture incredible images of these strikes hitting the torch.
The statue sways significantly during high winds. In a 50-mile-per-hour wind, the body can move three inches, and the torch can move up to six inches. This flexibility prevents the structure from snapping under pressure.
Newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer saved the project when money ran out. The government refused to pay for the pedestal, so Pulitzer asked the public for pennies. Surprisingly, thousands of ordinary citizens donated small amounts to finish the job.
It functioned as an actual lighthouse from 1886 to 1902. However, the light was too dim to be useful for ships navigating the harbor. Eventually, the Lighthouse Board gave up and transferred control to the War Department.
She wears a size 879 shoe. If she were a real woman, she would need sandals that are 25 feet long. Clearly, finding footwear in her size would be impossible at a regular store.
The statue arrived in New York in 350 separate pieces. The French packed the copper skin and iron pylon into 214 wooden crates for the ocean voyage. Therefore, workers had to assemble the massive puzzle on the island.
Thomas Edison once proposed making Statue of Liberty speak. He wanted to install a massive phonograph inside so she could deliver speeches to the city.
The original torch is now displayed in the museum at the base. It was replaced in the 1980s because it was leaking water and causing internal damage. The current torch is covered in 24-karat gold leaf to reflect the sun.
Suffragettes protested the unveiling of the statue in 1886. They hired a boat to circle the island while shouting through megaphones. They pointed out the hypocrisy of using a female figure to represent liberty when women could not vote.
