October 28 is celebrated as the symbolic ‘Birth’ of the Statue of Liberty. The dedication of the statue, officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World, anchors the month. Work on the statue began about a decade before its arrival in parts at New York Harbor in 1885. The project would not be completed until 1886. The last rivet on the monument was fitted just in time for the ceremony in New York City in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators as a gift of friendship from the people of France. Ironically, immigrants were welcome but not mentioned at the ceremony. The idea was everything. The statue was only a symbol made of copper, granite, and steel. It’s what was inside that speaks to all and is so important. While many take freedom for granted, America’s strength is liberty. Liberty was in trouble in France. The gift from her people to the people of the United States was to be a symbol that speaks to all about liberty and freedom enlightening the world. America’s shining example of democracy, hopefully, would serve as an example for France. And like a light left on at home, the work was initially designed to celebrate the abolition of slavery and the upcoming American Centennial: the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, reflected on the tablet she holds, which reads “July 4, 1776” in Roman numerals. This is represented by the broken chains and shackles at Lady Liberty’s feet.  French abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye initially proposed and championed the creation of the statue to commemorate the Franco-American alliance during the American Revolution. Designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the 151-foot statue was in the form of a woman with an uplifted arm holding a torch. Its framework of gigantic steel supports was designed by Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the latter famous for his design of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This “Gateway to America” might look small from a distance, but made of pure copper, granite, steel, and iron it would loom large up close and be resistant to heat, cold and stormproof. And what it would stand for would be of the utmost importance: the absence of evil, constraint, lawlessness and its impediments, and the freedom to remain oneself as long as one chooses.  The statue would be the tallest structure in the New World, rising 305 feet above the Port of New York to produce an emotion in spectators because of the idea it portrays that liberty is freedom and the place it occupies. Americans were to provide a place on the island for Lady Liberty to stand. While the statue was unveiled that October, another historic moment occurred that cemented its lasting legacy. In 1903, a bronze plaque bearing the sonnet “The New Colossus,” written by Emma Lazarus in 1883, was mounted inside the pedestal. It reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Referred to as a “Beacon of Hope,” the words transformed the monument into a universal symbol of hope and welcome for incoming immigrants. On October 15, 1924, the Statue of Liberty was officially designated as a National Monument by President Calvin Coolidge. October has also been the backdrop for significant anniversaries surrounding the magnificent Statue. For example, on October 28, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicated the Statue of Liberty in honor of its 50th anniversary.  The National Park Service and the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation have been carrying out extensive, multimillion-dollar infrastructure and accessibility improvements on Liberty Island and the surrounding historic fort. These renovations focus on waterproofing the pedestrian plaza and improving safety features, but the landmark remains open to visitors. Nearby, Ellis Island is also undergoing a major $100-million museum revitalization project. In addition, the National Park Service is wrapping up a $22-million revitalization of Fort Wood, the star-shaped fortress and pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty stands. The work primarily targets water intrusion, drainage issues, and the stone walking surfaces, with no major closures to Liberty Island.  The fort’s infrastructure project, funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, focuses specifically on structural repairs to the exterior staircases and utility rooms to protect the historic base of the monument. Beyond the fort, the French Consulate and private sponsors in cooperation with the National Park Service earlier this year collaborated on a monumental light-and-sound show illuminating Lady Liberty as part of the country’s celebrations surrounding America’s 250th anniversary last July 4.  In summary, America’s Statue of Liberty represents the end of oppression and the pursuit of liberty, inspired by the American abolition of slavery and democratic ideals. It serves as a welcoming beacon, greeting millions of immigrants arriving by ship at New York Harbor, serving as a promise of a new start and a better life. And it is a gift of international friendship from the people of France to celebrate the alliance between the two nations during the American Revolution and the shared value of liberty. ...read more read less