The Statue of Liberty

Liberty Enlightening the World, known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty, is a colossal statue given to the United States by the Paris based Union Franco-Américaine in 1886, standing at Liberty Island, in the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The copper statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the United States and is a gesture of friendship between the two nations. The statue is 151 feet and one inch tall, with the foundation adding another 154 feet. The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the U.S. worldwide, and, in a more general sense, represents liberty and escape from oppression. The Statue of Liberty was, from 1886 until the jet age, often one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe.