Francia regal a Estados Unidos la Estatua de la Libertad, smbolo de la libertad para los oprimidos.

Se encuentra en la ciudad de Nueva York en Estados Unidos.

Este monumento es un regalo hecho el cuatro de julio de 1884, por el pueblo francs al de
Norteamrica, en conmemoracin a la alianza hecha por las dos naciones durante la Revolucin
Norteamericana.
Fue el historiador francs, Edoard de Laboulaye, quien propuso desde 1865 que su pas hiciera un
regalo conmemorativo a los Estados Unidos de Norteamrica, en ocasin del primer centenario de
la firma de la Declaracin de Independencia.
Aunque los aliados franceses de ese tiempo protestaron por la iniciativa, el escultor FredericAuguste Bartholdi viaj a tierras norteamericanas para entrevistarse con las autoridades. Un
monumento como el que se proyectaba, tena un costo demasiado elevado, por lo que se integr
una Unin Franco-Americana para reunir fondos.
El costo total de la estatua, que fue de un milln de francos fue cubierto en su totalidad por el
pueblo francs. Mientras tanto, los norteamericanos aportaron los 250 mil dlares necesarios para
el pedestal.
La idea de que la repblica francesa hiciera un regalo a los ciudadanos estadounidenses se le
ocurri al escultor Frdric Auguste Bartholdi una noche de verano de 1865, mientras cenaba en
casa de un historiador francs.Seis aos ms tarde, durante un viaje a Nueva York, Bartholdi, que a
la sazn contaba 37 aos, descubri el perfecto emplazamiento para la estatua: la isla de Bedloe,
en la parte alta de la baha de Nueva York, un lugar visible para todos los barcos que acudieran al
puerto.La eleccin del rostro de la estatua dio muchos quebraderos de cabeza a Bartholdi, que
finalmente se decidi por darle las adustas facciones de su madre, una fantica protestante que
haba vuelto loco a su hijo, literalmente hablando, al prohibirle casarse con la mujer a la que
quera: una juda.Otro problema era encontrar los materiales adecuados para construir una
estatua que resistiera la intemperie y, a la vez, fuera ligera para transportarla por el mar, y se
inspir en el Coloso de Rodas, que era hueco, revestido en bronce, l uso laminas finas de cobre.
En su mano derecha, en posicin elevada, la divinidad representada en la estatua porta una
antorcha iluminada; en su mano izquierda, lleva la tablilla de la ley que lleva inscrita con nmeros
romanos la fecha del 4 de julio de 1776. Adems, una cadena rota se encuentra a sus pies. La
Estatua de la Libertad fue constituida en monumento nacional en 1924 y su mantenimiento est
bajo la responsabilidad del National Park Service.
La figura est hecha de un armazn de cobre de 2.4 milmetros de espesor, y su soporte es una
plancha de hierro diseada por Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, creador de la Torre Eiffel de Pars. El
proceso de su elaboracin requiri a Bartholdi construir un modelo de tres metros, el cual fue
aumentado hasta hacer una figura de 11 metros de alto dividida en secciones.
Cada seccin fue posteriormente aumentada tambin y al final todas ellas fueron colocadas en su
sitio en la estructura central. La Estatua de la Libertad mide alrededor de 46 metros de altura y
pesa 225 toneladas. (mas sobre la Estatua de la Libertad)
La estatua haba de alzarse sobre un pedestal tan alto como ella, con lo que llegara a elevarse
unos 93 m sobre el nivel del suelo. Pero no se haba logrado reunir ms que la mitad del dinero
necesario para construir el pedestal. El editor Joseph Pulitzer lanz una campaa animando a que
se hicieran donativos para esta causa y publicaba en su popular peridico, el New York World, los
nombres de cuantos iban contribuyendo a la obra, con mucho o poco dinero. Finalmente, 121.000
personas aportaron ms de 100.000 dlares. La Estatua de la Libertad llevaba 15 meses embalada
cuando se concluy su pedestal. Las piezas se desembalaron y se fueron montando sobre la
estructura de Eiffel, de abajo arriba, sin andamiaje externo. El 28 de octubre de 1886, la Libertad
por fin elev su antorcha sobre su nuevo hogar.

France gave the United States the statue of liberty, a symbol of freedom for the oppressed. It is
located in the city of New York in the United States.
This monument is a gift made on July 4, 1884, by the French people in North America, in
commemoration of the Alliance made by the two countries during the American Revolution.
It was the French historian, Edoard de Laboulaye, who proposed since 1865 his country to make a
memorial gift to the United States of North America, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of
the signing of the Declaration of independence.
Although the French allies of that time protested the initiative, the sculptor Frederic-Auguste
Bartholdi traveled to North American lands to meet with the authorities. A monument like that
projected, had a too high cost, making it a Franco-Americana Union joined to raise funds.
The total cost of the statue, which was one million francs was covered entirely by the French
people. Meanwhile, the Americans provided the 250 thousand dollars needed for the pedestal.
The idea that the French Republic did a gift occurred to American citizens sculptor Auguste
Bartholdi Frdric a night of summer of 1865, while he dined at the House of a French historian.Six
years later, during a trip to New York, Bartholdi, who at the time was 37 years, found the perfect
site for the statue: Bedloe Island, in upper New York Bay, a visible place for all boats that came to
the port.The choice of the face of the statue gave headaches to Bartholdi, who finally decided to
give the grim factions of his mother, a Protestant zealot who had gone mad his son, literally
speaking, to forbid them to marry the woman who wanted to: a Jewish.Another problem was to
find the right materials to build a statue that resist weather and outside at the same time, light to
transport by sea, and was inspired by the Colossus of Rhodes, which was hollow, coated in bronze,
use thin sheets of copper.
In his right hand, in the raised position, the deity depicted on the statue carries a lit torch; in his
left hand, take the tablet of the law which has been registered with Roman numerals the date of
July 4, 1776. In addition, a broken chain lies at his feet. The statue of liberty was incorporated in a
national monument in 1924 and its maintenance is the responsibility of the National Park Service.
The figure is made of a frame of copper from 2.4 millimeters thick, and its support is an iron plate
designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, creator of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The process of its
elaboration required Bartholdi build a model of three metres, which was increased to a figure of
11 metres high, divided into sections.
Each section was subsequently also increased and at the end all of them were placed on its site in
the central structure. The statue of liberty is about 46 meters high and weighs 225 tons. (more
about the statue of liberty)
The statue had lift on a pedestal so high like her, with what would come to soar 93 metres above
the ground level. But they had failed to collect more than half of the money needed to build the
pedestal. The Publisher Joseph Pulitzer launched a campaign encouraging donations were made
for this cause and in his popular newspaper, the New York World, published the names of those
who were contributing to work, with much or little money. Finally, 121,000 people contributed
more than $100,000. The statue of liberty had 15 months packed when it concluded its pedestal.
The pieces are unpacked and were riding on the structure of Eiffel, bottom up, without external
scaffolding. On October 28, 1886, freedom finally raised his torch on their new home.