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A Big Statue:
There is a huge statue in New York Harbor. It is called the Statue of Liberty. It looks like a lady. She is wearing a long robe and a crown. She is holding up a glowing torch in her right hand. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol. It stands for freedom. It stands for the United States of America.
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A Wonderful Gift:
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France. In the 1700s, the French helped the Americans fight for freedom. Citizens of both countries loved liberty. So, the French wanted to show their friendship with a gift.
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A Great Idea:
The idea to build the statue came from a man in France. His name was Édouard de Laboulaye. He told his friends about his idea. One friend was a sculptor. A sculptor is a kind of artist. Sculptors make statues and other things. The sculptor’s name was Frédéric Bartholdi. Frédéric said he would build a statue.
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What Kind of Statue?
Frédéric wanted to build the biggest statue in the world! He started with modeling clay. He made a small statue that he liked. Next, Frédéric went to New York. He picked a place to put the statue. The place was a small island. Then, he went back to France and built the statue there.
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Building the Statue:
Frédéric and his helpers started the statue in 1875. First, they carved wood to look like parts of the statue. Next, they laid copper sheets on the wood. Then, they hit the copper sheets with hammers to shape them. They shaped some copper sheets to look like the torch. They shaped others to look like the head.
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The Pedestal:
The Statue of Liberty stands on top of a building. The building is called the pedestal. Americans began the building while the statue was being created. They built it on the island in New York Harbor. The island is now called Liberty Island.
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Materials for the Statue:
The Statue of Liberty is made of 300 thin sheets of copper. Pennies are also made of copper. The copper sheets for the statue are about as thick as two pennies. The copper sheets could not stand alone. There is a strong tower inside the statue. The tower is made of iron and steel. The copper sheets are fastened to the tower.
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The Statue Goes to New York:
When the statue was finished, it was taken apart. Frédéric's helpers put the pieces in wooden boxes. They needed 214 boxes. Then, Frédéric sent the statue to the United States. Americans put the parts together on Liberty Island. First, they put up a tower. Then, they fastened the copper sheets to the iron bars. The statue was finished in 1886. It was as tall as a 22-story building!
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What the Statue Means:
Each part of the statue is a symbol. Seven spikes in the crown stand for the world's seven seas. They also stand for the seven continents. The torch stands for the light of liberty. A broken chain at the statue's feet stands for freedom.
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The statue holds a tablet in her left arm. Writing on the tablet says, "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI." These letters stand for a date, July 4, 1776. Americans signed the Declaration of Independence on that day.
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A Welcome Sight:
People in other lands wanted to come to the United States to live. Millions of people left their homes. They sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The trip was long and hard. At last, they sailed into New York Harbor. The Statue of Liberty was there to welcome them.
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Fixing the Statue:
The Statue of Liberty stands outdoors. Rain and snow fell on it for almost 100 years. The iron bars rusted. The statue had to be fixed. It had to be cleaned. It needed new metal bars and a new torch. No one could visit it for two years. The statue opened again on July 4, 1986. It was better than ever. Millions of people visit it every year. Its new torch flame is covered with gold. Big lights shine on the gold. The light makes the flame glow.
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A Visit to the Statue:
To visit the Statue of Liberty, you take a boat to Liberty Island. A ranger tells you about the statue. The ranger shows you a fort on Liberty Island. There is a museum inside the pedestal. You can see the first torch there. An elevator can take you to the top of the pedestal. You can look at the harbor all around. From the Statue of Liberty, you can view the land of the free.
