In 1865, French historian Édouard de Laboulaye proposed gifting the United States a statue in order to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence and as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.The large-scale statue was designed by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who hammered large copper sheets for the exterior and modeled Lady Liberty’s face after his mother’s. The steel skeleton of the sculpture was designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the visionary behind the Eiffel Tower.

Once the statue was completed in 1885, it was displayed in France before being taken apart to be sent overseas to New York. It arrived a few months later, and after being re-assembled, it was placed on top of a pedestal on Liberty Island. The Statue of Liberty was officially dedicated by President Grover Cleveland on October 28, 1886 in front of thousands of cheering spectators.