The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the people of the United States from the people of France as a sign of friendship. She stands on Liberty Island in the middle of New York harbor.  It is a symbol of hope and freedom for immigrants.

Frederic Auguste Bartholdt  and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel made the statue in 1884. It was shipped in 214 crates in 1885 to the United States. It had to be reassembled and was placed on granite pedestal inside the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood.  Then on October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland unveiled it.  On October 15, 1924, it officially became a national monument by vote of the Congress.

The statue weighs about 460,000 pounds and is made from more than 300 sheets of copper.  It stands over 305 feet tall and is taller than a 14-story building.   The tablet held in her left hand has the date of the Declaration of Independence inscribed in it.  The torch in her right arm is 21 feet tall.  The crown on her head stands for the seven continents of the world.  There is a broken chain at her feet which represents the freedom from chains that the people in America have.

Many tourists visit this monument each year.  You can either ride the elevator or climb the stairs.  When you are at the top, you can look over New York Harbor and New York City.