<\/br> Bartholdi and de Laboulaye were part of a long tradition of French intellectuals, most notably Alexis de Tocqueville, who were fascinated by American democracy. France, after all, had been the<\/span> crucial European supporter of American independence during the Revolutionary War. Lafayette, a young French nobleman, fought alongside General George Washington and became a surrogate son. Philadelphia\u2019s own Benjamin Franklin, the lead negotiator of the alliance, was the toast of French society, who lionized him as the ideal American–much to John Adams\u2019 chagrin.<\/p>\n \n The second problem was the construction of the statue\u2019s base, which the French hoped the recipients would pay for. The arm was sent to the Centennial as a part of a public relations campaign. The public could purchase subscriptions ranging from a dime to $100 to help pay for the pedestal. But the public response at the Centennial was unenthusiastic. The country had been in the grips of a massive economic depression since 1873. To many Americans, a big copper woman seemed like a frivolous gift in this time of need. Moreover, it seemed incongruous compared to such exhibits celebrating American technical prowess: the Remington typewriter, Bell\u2019s telephone, and Corliss\u2019s engine. And no American city seemed eager to offer her a home, including Philadelphia. After the fair was over, the arm was packed up and displayed in New York\u2019s Madison Square. However, the response from New Yorkers was also lukewarm; the arm was shipped back to France.<\/p>\n It took another ten years before the American people fulfilled their end of the bargain. Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-Jewish immigrant and the editor of the New York World<\/span>, had led a newspaper campaign to raise funds for the pedestal.iii<\/sup> Not only that, but poet Emma Lazarus wrote a poem in 1883 called \u201cThe New Colossus\u201d to tell the American people what the statue really<\/span> stood for:<\/p>\n Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, <\/br><\/p>\n Postscript: In 1918, a year after America entered World War I, Lady Liberty made a brief return to the city of her American debut. A miniature of the statue (complete with pedestal) was exhibited in front of City Hall as the centerpiece of a patriotic display promoting the war effort.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n References:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n [i] \u201cStatue of Liberty National Monument: History and Culture,\u201d National Park Service, the Department of the Interior. http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/stli\/historyculture\/index.htm<\/a> Accessed May 22, 2010.<\/p>\n [ii] \u201cStatue of Liberty, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/archive\/stli\/prod02.htm<\/a> Accessed May 25, 2010.<\/p>\n![\"Purchase](\"https:\/\/phillyhistory.wpengine.com\/images\/purchase.gif\")
<\/a> ![\"View](\"https:\/\/phillyhistory.wpengine.com\/images\/nearby.gif\")
<\/a><\/div>\n
\nBartholdi dreamed of giving America a 100th birthday present since 1865. The project\u2019s chief promoter, jurist and poet Edouard de Laboulaye, felt that the abolition of slavery following the Civil War proved that America indeed could live up to its original promise of liberty and justice for all. He was also disappointed that earlier French experiments in democracy had failed; his nation was now under the rule of Emperor Napoleon III.i <\/sup><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/a> <\/a><\/div>\n
\nWith conquering limbs astride from land to land;
\nHere at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
\nA mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
\nIs the imprisoned lightning, and her name
\nMother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
\nGlows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
\nThe air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
\n“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
\nWith silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
\nYour huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
\nThe wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
\nSend these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
\nI lift my lamp beside the golden door!”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/a> <\/a><\/div>\n