Volume 13 , Issue 36

Mother of Exiles - Statue of Liberty

Who was the Mother of Exiles? What do you know about the history of the Statue of Liberty? My search on Google.com found some interesting information concerning this special Mother of Liberty (a.k.a. Mother of Exiles).

According to NPS historical Handbook: Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Liberty enlightening the World was a gift to the United States from the people of France, conceived and designed as a symbol of a great international friendship.

Historical Notes
Construction of the Statue began in France in the year 1875, by sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. The final completion date of the individual sections was in June of 1884, and it stood in Paris until it was dismantled in early 1885 for shipping to the US. Engineering of the structure's assembly was done by Gustave Eiffel.

The French frigate "Isere" transported the Statue from France to the United States. In transit the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The pedestal was designed by architect Richard M.Hunt in 1877. Construction of the pedestal began in 1883 and was completed in 1884, and final assembly of the statue & pedestal was completed in 1886. On October 28, 1886 President Grover Cleveland accepted The Statue on behalf of the United States and said in part, "We will not forget that liberty here made her home -- nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."

The Poet Emma Lazarus -- saw refugees from persecution arriving on a tramp steamer. In 1883, she wrote that the statue was The New Colossus& or the Mother of Exiles.

The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch whose flame
Is imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "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!"
by -- Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)

Symbolism of the Statue
The broken shackles of tyranny that are molded at the feet of Liberty spoke to generations of people fleeing tyranny -- The tablet in the statue's left hand, inscribed July 4, 1776, refers to the Declaration of Independence (telling all comers of the American ideal that "all men are created equal.") -- The torch, held high in her right hand, lights the way to freedom and liberty.

We should remember
And take to heart what President Franklin D. Roosevelt said in 1936, at the 50th anniversary of the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty -- "Millions of men and women . . . adopted this homeland because in this land they found a home in which the things they most desired could be theirs -- Freedom of opportunity, Freedom of thought, Freedom to worship God. Here they found life because here there was Freedom to live. It is the memory of all these eager, seeking millions that makes this one of America's places of great romance . . . It is fitting, therefore, that this should be a service of rededication to the liberty and the peace which this statue symbolizes. Liberty and peace are living things. In each generation -- if they are to be maintained -- they must be guarded and vitalized anew."   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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