Built (work completed) in 1884

France

Unveiled in 1886

New York Harbor, New York

America's symbol of democracy and welcome to immigrants

Statue of Liberty. © Kelly-Mooney Photography/Corbis.

"From her beacon-hand / Glows world-wide welcome …"

In New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, an elegant lady holding a torch to light the way for hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, is a stirring symbol of both the United States and its welcoming embrace of "huddled masses yearning to breathe free." The image of the statue is widely reproduced as a celebration of the American political system and the country's history as a collection of immigrants who together built a new nation on the North American continent. Like written documents such as the Declaration of Independence (1776) declaring that "all men are created equal," the Statue of Liberty has a long history behind its symbolism.

The Statue of...