Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty

On this date in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland. Three years earlier, ground had been broken for the structure on Bedloe's Island (later to be called Liberty Island) in New York Harbor. The statue and its pedestal rest on a base in the shape of an 11-pointed star, constructed from the remains of Fort Wood. The seven spikes in Lady Liberty's crown signify the seven seas and continents. Emma Lazarus's "The New Colossus" is inscribed on the plaque, symbolically welcoming immigrants to American shores.

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From our Archives: Today's Highlights, October 28, 2007