French history myths: France only sent one Statue of Liberty to the US
You might already know that New York's Lady Liberty was a gift from France, but did you know she is far from the only Liberty figure, and not even the only one to have travelled from France to the United States?
Myth: The French have only sent the Americans one Statue of Liberty
It is likely common knowledge that the United States' iconic 93-metre-tall Lady Liberty is actually French in origin, gifted to the USA to mark 100 years since American independence.
But you might not realise that the New York City monument is not the only one the French have gifted to the United States.
In 2021, another - this time smaller - Statue of Liberty travelled to New York from France.
This replica was also meant to be a symbol of French-American friendship. Having previously been on display in Paris with the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, the statue travelled across the Atlantic to the United States in June of 2021. It eventually made its way from New York to Washington DC, where it went on display at the French ambassador's residence for Bastille Day. It will remain there until 2031.
The conservatory told CNN that sending the statue to the United States was meant to "send a very simple message: Our friendship with the United States is very important, particularly at this moment. We have to conserve and defend our friendship."
Miss Liberty sur le parvis de @LeCnam lève l'ancre🗽 ! Cette réplique en bronze de 500kg et de 3m de haut met le cap sur Washington D.C. 🚢, en passant par Ellis Island où elle fera une pause d'une semaine en face de sa grande soeur. #ViveLaLiberty, vive l’amitié 🇺🇸-🇫🇷! pic.twitter.com/aN3EWJmGhq
— U.S. Embassy France (@USEmbassyFrance) June 8, 2021
The original statue stands as the third tallest in the world, but she is not the only Lady Liberty in the world. The second-most famous Statue of Liberty was actually gifted to the French by Americans, specifically those living in Paris. Only a fourth of the height of the original, the Statue stands on the Île de Cygnes in the Seine river in Paris, facing westward toward the New York statue.
Several other replicas - at least 100 of them - exist across the world. There are several of them in France alone, and if you want to find them you can plan your Lady Liberty road trip by clicking HERE.
READ MORE: Where to find France’s 12 Statues of Liberty
The original Statue of Liberty also represents more than just the shared friendship between the United States and France.
French historian Édouard de Laboulaye came up with the idea for the statue and made the proposal for it in 1865. While the statue was intended to be a gift to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, Laboulaye was also an anti-slavery activist and avid supporter of the Union during the Civil War. He hoped that the statue would represent liberty and symbolise the freedom of thought repressed under Napoleon III's regime.
Eventually, it was sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi who brought the statue to life (reputedly modelled her face on his mother) helped by a famous engineer known for another and tall structure - Gustave Eiffel.
The statue was intended to mark 100 years since the American declaration of independence in 1776, but initially only the torch-bearing arm was displayed, the full statute was not finally completed for another 10 years and was dedicated in 1886.
The right arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty on display at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/4WdYilVS9D
— Sports & Betting History by BestBettingSites (@CDCHistory) January 22, 2017
This article is part of our August series on myths and misconceptions from French history.
Comments
See Also
Myth: The French have only sent the Americans one Statue of Liberty
It is likely common knowledge that the United States' iconic 93-metre-tall Lady Liberty is actually French in origin, gifted to the USA to mark 100 years since American independence.
But you might not realise that the New York City monument is not the only one the French have gifted to the United States.
In 2021, another - this time smaller - Statue of Liberty travelled to New York from France.
This replica was also meant to be a symbol of French-American friendship. Having previously been on display in Paris with the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, the statue travelled across the Atlantic to the United States in June of 2021. It eventually made its way from New York to Washington DC, where it went on display at the French ambassador's residence for Bastille Day. It will remain there until 2031.
The conservatory told CNN that sending the statue to the United States was meant to "send a very simple message: Our friendship with the United States is very important, particularly at this moment. We have to conserve and defend our friendship."
Miss Liberty sur le parvis de @LeCnam lève l'ancre🗽 ! Cette réplique en bronze de 500kg et de 3m de haut met le cap sur Washington D.C. 🚢, en passant par Ellis Island où elle fera une pause d'une semaine en face de sa grande soeur. #ViveLaLiberty, vive l’amitié 🇺🇸-🇫🇷! pic.twitter.com/aN3EWJmGhq
— U.S. Embassy France (@USEmbassyFrance) June 8, 2021
The original statue stands as the third tallest in the world, but she is not the only Lady Liberty in the world. The second-most famous Statue of Liberty was actually gifted to the French by Americans, specifically those living in Paris. Only a fourth of the height of the original, the Statue stands on the Île de Cygnes in the Seine river in Paris, facing westward toward the New York statue.
Several other replicas - at least 100 of them - exist across the world. There are several of them in France alone, and if you want to find them you can plan your Lady Liberty road trip by clicking HERE.
READ MORE: Where to find France’s 12 Statues of Liberty
The original Statue of Liberty also represents more than just the shared friendship between the United States and France.
French historian Édouard de Laboulaye came up with the idea for the statue and made the proposal for it in 1865. While the statue was intended to be a gift to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, Laboulaye was also an anti-slavery activist and avid supporter of the Union during the Civil War. He hoped that the statue would represent liberty and symbolise the freedom of thought repressed under Napoleon III's regime.
Eventually, it was sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi who brought the statue to life (reputedly modelled her face on his mother) helped by a famous engineer known for another and tall structure - Gustave Eiffel.
The statue was intended to mark 100 years since the American declaration of independence in 1776, but initially only the torch-bearing arm was displayed, the full statute was not finally completed for another 10 years and was dedicated in 1886.
The right arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty on display at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/4WdYilVS9D
— Sports & Betting History by BestBettingSites (@CDCHistory) January 22, 2017
This article is part of our August series on myths and misconceptions from French history.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.