A GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP Have you ever given a gift to a friend to show that you care about them A gift of friendship to the United States from the people of France became one of the most famous symbols in the world Standing tall and welcoming in the New York Harbor the Statue of Liberty symbolizes French admiration for American freedom It was meant to serve as a reminder of the friendship the two nations formed during America’s fight for independence 4
It was the people of the two nations and not the governments that made the statue possible Citizens of both nations worked for 21 years to bring Lady Liberty to America Since she was unveiled in 1886 Lady Liberty has come to symbolize much more than the alliance between France and the United States Facing east toward incoming ships with her torch raised lighting the way the Statue of Liberty was often the first thing immigrants saw as they entered the harbor on their way to a new life in America This gift of friendship became a beacon of hope and a symbol of freedom to the world 5
THE AMERICAN DREAM On a summer evening in 1865 a group of friends gathered at the home of Édouard de Laboulaye for a dinner party in France The intellectuals and artists at the party were happy that the United States of America had ended the Civil War and abolished slavery with the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment The friends also admired America for its democratic government which allowed citizens to vote for their representatives Freedom Fact The dinner party was held a few months after United States President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated which saddened many French people They felt the world had lost a living symbol of freedom 6
At the time France was under the oppressive rule of Napoleon III and in the middle of its own revolution Those gathered at the party thought of America as a symbol of hope for freedom and democracy Laboulaye wanted to create a monument for the United States to celebrate its upcoming centennial anniversary The centennial anniversary in 1876 would mark 100 years since the United States declared its independence from British rule Édouard de Laboulaye 1811-1883 Freedom Fact The French formed an alliance with the American colonies during the American Revolution Without ships weapons and other support from France America may not have won its independence from Great Britain 7
