La liberté éclairant le monde

Liberty Enlightening the World , is the English translation of the French name given to the statue which commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1876.

The Statue was given to the United States by France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution.

The replica in this picture here was given to the City of Edmond, Oklahoma by a Boy Scout Troop in 2007. On the tablet reads the date July 4th and the year 1776 in Roman Numerals.

Tomorrow, after eight years of being closed after the 9/11 attacks for safety and security reasons, the crown of Lady Liberty will once again be open for visitors.

The idea of the Statue originated around 1865 with Edouard de Laboulaye who saw the United States as a country that had proved that democracy was a viable type of government - after all they had just survived a Civil War and abolished slavery.

De Laboulaye also saw the gift as a way to reflect his wish for a democracy in France. Artist Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, who was known for large-scale work, was commissioned to design this sculpture. Nothing happened for some time, but finally (in 1874) Bartholdi came to the United States to look for a location for his monument. He saw Bedloe's Island from his ship as he sailed into the New York Harbor, and realized it would be a perfect location - since here his statue would always have an audience.

"Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World", the original name, was fashioned in the style of Greco-Roman art. Bartholdi recruited French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) to build a skeleton for his statue. Eiffel designed a massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently- yet sand upright. This flexibility is needed to allow the Statue to sway in the sometimes violent harbor winds.

Since the Statue was a joint effort between American and France, it was agreed that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and assembly. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment and items with the Statue on it were ways to raise money. This was also tried in the United States- but with limited results. Joseph Pulitzer stepped in and was able to raise money for the pedestal using his newspaper "The World" from the wealthy and middle class alike.

The Statue was completed in France in July of 1884, then disassembled and shipped to the United States. She arrived in NY In June 1885. Once the pedestal was finished, the statue was re-assembled in four months. On October 28, 1886 the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators.

Although 123 years old, Lady Liberty is very current. You can see a whole new side of her on Twitter, Flickr and at www.nps.gov/stli

You can also follow Twitter and Flickr to see tomorrow's events unfold, and can also visit the Statue of Liberty from your home by taking the new Statue of Liberty National Monument eTour.

A symbolic feature that people cannot see is the broken chain wrapped around the Statue's feet. Protruding from the bottom of her robe, the broken chains symbolize her free forward movement, enlightening the world with her torch free from oppression and servitude.