The Statue of Liberty is a massive copper statue standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Given to the United States by France in 1886 as a gift celebrating American independence and freedom, the statue depicts a robed woman holding a torch high above her head in one hand and a tablet in the other. The tablet bears the date July 4, 1776, the day America declared independence.

Standing over 300 feet tall from the ground to the tip of her torch, Lady Liberty (as she's often called) became one of America's most recognizable symbols. For millions of immigrants arriving by ship between the 1880s and 1920s, the statue was their first glimpse of America, representing hope for a new life. Many people fleeing poverty or persecution saw that raised torch and felt they had finally reached safety.

The statue's official name is Liberty Enlightening the World. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed her, while Gustave Eiffel (who later built the Eiffel Tower) engineered the iron framework inside that holds her up. The copper exterior has turned green over the decades due to natural weathering, giving the statue its distinctive color.

Today, visitors can take a ferry to Liberty Island and even climb up inside the statue. The monument reminds Americans that the country was built by people from everywhere, all seeking freedom and opportunity.