The statue of liberty has grown to be the identity of America globally. Walking at any corner of the world and ask anyone anything about America and the answer, which comes first to almost everyone, is the statue of liberty. The aim of this paper is to determine the meaning behind the statue and the reason behind its different meanings depending on the changes in eras and the dominating sociopolitical factors as discussed below.
The statue of liberty has its origin in France with Edourd de Laboulaye an abolitionist and one of the key members that hoped to liberate France from the dictatorship of Napoleon III and his friend planned to gift the statue to America in their commemoration of America’s 100 years following independence (Glassberg, 2003). The statue was to be a symbol of the ‘two sister’ or the friendship over the years between America and France. Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor, began designing the statue in 1870 and it was known as “Liberty Enlightening the World” (Glassberg, 2003) Bartholdi visited the U.S. to determine the most suitable destination for the statue where he chooses Bedloe’s Island. The Franco-American Union in both France and America held fundraising due to the financial constraints during the time. The entire statue made in Paris and transported to America in pieces by sea. The Americans were required to fund the reassembling the statue leading to more fundraising. The construction of the monument at the time was just an illustration of the friendship between the two countries.
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The site was chosen, and the essence that the statue was the tallest in the area made it visible to all people coming to America. On October 28, 1886, President Grover oversaw the dedication of the statue. Once redesigning were required, Emma Lazarus Poem as a way to raise funds changed the meaning of the statue, and it became the symbol of freedom and liberty of the fleeing refugees from Europe areas dominated by the Nazis and the communists (Thu-Huong, 2017). The statue of liberty demonstrated a place where all oppressed would gain refuge to enjoy democracy and economic prowess. The gilded age was an era that saw America’s economy improve drastically and was characterized by the millions of refugees who came to America to improve their living standards or realize their dreams. The statue was a welcoming avenue for all entering America for economic and liberty purposes.
The early 20th century saw the monument gain different meanings. The statue of liberty was represented to demonstrate various political and social issues in different eras. During the First World War, the government used the monument to advocate for unity among the Americans as the political rallies and fundraising took place near the statue (Glassberg, 2003). It depicted that the U.S. being the beam of light towards democracy and liberation was undertaking the war to free people all over the world. Since then the statue became a National monument due to the features that pass messages to the world and Americans.
The torch is a depiction of enlightening the world, as the achievement of freedom is not understood until one tastes freedom. The seven points of the crown demonstrate the continents of the world whereby they demonstrate the leadership role the U.S. must play to ensure the liberty of the world. The left-hand holds a tablet that is simply intended to ensure laws that will protect the freedom of the people and respect for human rights. Lastly, the robe symbolizes the Roman goddess of freedom and liberty. All these symbols play a key role to ensure different issues are accomplished for instance, during the 1960s; the statue was used by the Civil Movements to call for the liberation of the minorities. The popular culture has also benefited from the statue whereby musicians such as Michael Jackson have used the statue of liberty in his famous pop song ‘Black or White’ to symbolize that America liberation is not determined by the color of one’s skin (Glassberg, 2003). Lastly, the statue is one of the key tourist attraction sites with millions of both domestic and foreign tourists visiting the site.
The statue of liberty being a dominant depiction or illustration of America is reproduced in entertainment and folk art. The beauty of the statue and its location makes it possible for the increased popularity of the statue while also used to call upon the unity of the people during a crisis. For example, the 9/11 incident led to politicians using the statue as a symbol of strength that enemies will try to conquer, but they will fail just as the statue symbolizes democracy and strength. The surveillance imposed by the government following the 9/11 terror-attacks led to the various cartoonist to use the statue chained to demonstrate the discontent of the people with the surveillance that was a violation of privacy which is among their rights (Glassberg, 2003). It cartoon portrayed that the government was going to the American foundation of liberty.
Since its reassembling in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty has symbolized different reflections of the eras. The reflections have illustrated the changing meaning and to send a various message to the citizens and the world as a whole. It is clear that the statue symbolized and still symbolizes freedom and liberty. The changes during the eras and its use both politically and commercially are based on the symbols of freedom and liberty whereby America is seen as the father of democracy, economic prowess and the destination for all those whose rights are violated.
References
Glassberg, D. (2003, December). Rethinking the Statue of Liberty: Old Meanings, New Contexts. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Retrieved August 21, 2017, from https://archives.iupui.edu/bitstream/handle/2450/678/RethinkingTheStatue-Glassberg.pdf
Thu-Huong, H. (2017, February 1). The story behind the Statue of Liberty’s unexpected transformation into a beacon for refugees and immigrants. Quartz . Retrieved August 21, 2017, from https://qz.com/898486/give-me-your-tired-your-poor-the-statue-of-libertys-unexpected-transformation-into-a-beacon-for-refugees-and-immigrants/
