What Is the Statue of Liberty?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Learn how the Statue of Liberty made her way to New York Harbor in this fascinating history for young readers, part of the beloved What Was? series. The perfect way to celebrate America's 250th anniversary!

In 1876, France decided to give the United States a very big and very special present: the Statue of Liberty! Proposed by Edouard de Laboulaye and designed by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the gift was to commemorate the country's 100th birthday. But how was America's most prominent symbol of freedom built and moved into place? What gives the statue its iconic blue-green color today? How did the French transport our 111-foot-tall lady of liberty into New York Harbor all those years ago? Young historians will find the answers to these questions and more in this detailed, easy-to-comprehend biography of the creation and history of the Statue of Liberty.