The Statue of Liberty holds great significance to the United States of America, because it is the birth symbol of our country. This spectacular figure is the center for all citizens of the United States patriotism, and it is a symbol that unites all citizens as one. Most importantly, this statue helped to symbolize freedom for our country in a desperately needed time. The Statue of Liberty which was an external symbol of hope, which was born out of despair to two of the most upsetting conflicts of the mid-nineteenth century; the Franco-Prussian War and the American Civil War (Weisberger 13).
             The Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War brought us to closer ties with the French, and as a result the Statue of Liberty was given to the United States of America as a gift from the French people on October 28th 1886. Its idea was conceived by Edouard de Laboulaye and other French liberals including Auguste Bartholdi in 1865 (Perea 44&45). Edouard Laboulaye was a professor of comparative law. He was also a devoted friend to America (Allen 17). Laboulaye formed the Franco-American Union in order to raise funds to build the Statue of Liberty. Also, Laboulaye requested that the site for the statue be Bedloe's Island in New York harbor. Bartholdi had to come up with a sculptor. The first model for the statue was Bartholdi's mother, Mme. Bartholdi. Because of her age she found it difficult to sit for the extended periods needed for the model. Bartholdi searched the streets of Paris for a woman with a similar appearance and found Jeanne-Emilie Babeux de Puysieux. The form of the statue itself is modeled after several other classical versions of the personification of freedom and liberty. Meanwhile, There was a resolution passed by Congress, which authorized the use of Bedloe's Island, and it provided for the maintenance of the statue.
             Auguste Bartholdi completed the statue in 1884, and it was officially accepted by ...