Statue of Liberty: Gift of Hope
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from France to the United States in 1886. This gift would become one of the United States’ most treasured possessions and one of its most iconic representations of the American spirit.
Modeled after the statues of classical goddesses and their personifications of liberty (e.g., the Roman goddess Libertas), the Statue of Liberty epitomizes the human heart’s desire for a better life—a life where independence and the pursuit of happiness are made possible.
The following aspects of the Statue of Liberty exemplify this reality:
The Chains
The Statue of Liberty’s fluid, forward-moving gait through broken slave chains symbolizes Lady Liberty’s victory over slavery, tyranny, oppression, and servitude. Lady Liberty moves forward, bringing to the world the Enlightenment ideas of progress, tolerance, fraternity, religious freedom, and democracy. Lady Liberty breaks the chains that hold humans back; she provides them with a vision of boundless possibilities.
The Tablet
Lady Liberty’s left hand holds a tablet inscribed with the date of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 (July IV, MDCCLXXVI). The Declaration of Independence freed Americans from the yoke of Great Britain’s overbearing authority and control: It would set the groundwork principles and ideas for the Constitution of the United States--principles and ideas for a just, fair, and law-abiding government. It would provide, in the words of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, a “government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people….
The Crown
Lady Liberty’s crown is made up of twenty-five windows, which are meant to portray gemstones—glimmering symbols of strength, character, and dignity.
The seven spikes on the crown represent a radiant halo, light rays, and the world’s seven seas and continents.
Lady Liberty’s serious demeanor exemplifies her strength, character, and dignity, all of which are gifts she offers to all who come to her shores to pursue the American dream.
The Torch
The torch is held high in Lady Liberty’s outstretched right arm. The torch’s flame has a twenty-four-karat gold layering over the statue’s copper. The sun’s rays hit the flame during the day, and sixteen high-powered lights flood the flame at night.
Lady Liberty is a beacon, a beckoning torch for all who hunger and thirst for a life worth living, a future worth hoping for.
The Statue of Liberty’s official title, “Liberty Enlightening the World,” represents the meaning behind the statue--America’s distinctively manifested role of bringing and offering freedom, democracy, and justice to the poor, the huddled masses, and those yearning to be free. Within the human spirit is a desire to be happy amidst life’s ordinary trials and tribulations. The Statue of Liberty is a lighthouse of hope for all who engage in the pursuit of happiness.
