Ladylibertypic

State Of Liberty Timeline

  • Idea of Monument Proposed

    Idea of Monument Proposed

    Chairman Edouard de Laboulaye first proposed the idea of a monument for the United States.
  • Period: to

    Monument Timespan

  • Monument to be a Statue of a Woman

    Monument to be a Statue of a Woman

    Frederic Auguste Bartholdi proposed the idea of a robed woman holding a torch to be the monument. The idea was unsuccessful.
  • Beginning of the Liberty Monument

    Beginning of the Liberty Monument

    Bartholdi began sketching figures for the Liberty monument.
  • Promotion of the Idea

    Promotion of the Idea

    Bartholdi, along with Laboulaye, came to America to promote their idea of the Liberty monument on Bedloe's Island in New York.
  • Return to France

    Return to France

    After promoting his idea of the statue, Bartholdi returned to France.
  • Approval

    Approval

    A committee approved Bartholdi's idea of, "Liberty Enlightening the World." Fundraising for 600,000 francs begins. Laboulaye presents formal request to President Ulysses S. Grant to use Bedloe's Island for the placement of the statue.
  • First Pieces of Monument in New York

    First Pieces of Monument in New York

    Bartholdi returned to the United States. The hand and torch were shipped to New York and put on display at Madison Square.
  • Construction Begins

    Construction Begins

    Bartholdi begins constructing the monument. The hand and torch were sent to the United States for display at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
  • Official Site is in Place

    Official Site is in Place

    President U.S. Grant signed a bill designanting that Bedloe's Island would be the site for the statue.
  • Construction Continues

    Construction Continues

    The head and shoulders are completed and put on display for the first time at Paris Universal Exposition.
  • Establishment of Framework

    Establishment of Framework

    Alexander Gustav Eiffel designs 98-foot, 120 ton inner framework to support the statue. French fundraising is completed. United States fundraising continues.
  • Pedestal Begins

    Pedestal Begins

    Construction continues in Paris. The design of the pedestal begins on Bedloe's Island designed by R.M. Hunt.
  • Completion of Statue

    Completion of Statue

    Statue is completed. United States takes ownership.
  • Arrival in the U.S.

    Arrival in the U.S.

    The statue is disassembled and shipped to the United States.
  • Completion of the Pedestal

    Completion of the Pedestal

    The pedestal is completed. The decision was made to light the torch electrically. The Statue of Liberty was assembled on Bedloe's Island.
  • Addition to the Statue

    Word from Emma Lazarus' poem, "The New Colossus" are added to the base of the statue.