What does the poem on the Statue mean?

The poem, The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, was written in tribute to refugees and immigrants. Lazarus, a New Yorker of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish descent, was asked to write the poem to raise money for the statue's pedestal. She drew inspiration from the work she did as an aide for refugees on Ward's Island.



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The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, made its way to America on June 17, 1885. The French people, in honor of the alliance between the two countries during the American Revolution, presented the statue to recognize America as a champion of liberty and encourage the French to support the same ideals.

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Liberty from Bondage In designing the Statue, Bartholdi incorporated broken chains and shackles to represent newly achieved freedom. Originally, the sculptor planned to place the chains in the Statue's left hand, which instead became the position of her tablet.

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There are 25 windows in the crown which symbolize 25 gemstones found on the earth. The seven rays of the Statue's crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world. The tablet which the Statue holds in her left hand reads (in Roman numerals) “July (IV) 4th, (MDCCLXXVI) 1776.”

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25 Facts to Celebrate the Statue of Liberty
  • The statue's full name is Liberty Enlightening the World.
  • It was a gift from France given to America in 1886.
  • The robed female figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.
  • The statue measures 93 meters and weighs 204 metric tons.


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FAST FACTS The statue sways 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) in the wind; the torch sways 5 inches (12.7 centimeters). Visitors climb 354 steps (22 stories) to look out from 25 windows in the crown. The statue—151 feet, 1 inch (46 meters, 2.5 centimeters) tall—was the tallest structure in the U.S. at that time.

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10 Fun Facts about the Statue of Liberty
  • Her spiky hat is symbolic.
  • She is actually French.
  • The statue served as a lighthouse.
  • Her head isn't on properly!
  • Nobody is allowed in the torch.
  • Lightning doesn't strike twice, does it?
  • She escaped her chains.
  • Why is she green?


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So who was the Statue of Liberty modeled after? Quite likely, a mixture of all of these: Augusta Charlotte Bartholdi, the Roman goddess Libertas, a peasant, and that extra inspiration in the artist's own mind.

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