The Statue of Liberty was proposed in 1865 as a symbol of liberty, not initially connected to immigration. Its realization took over two decades and required funding from Americans for its base. The statue was intended to signify the end of slavery, as depicted by Lady Liberty standing on chains. Over time, poet Emma Lazarus wrote "The New Colossus" to advocate for immigrants, portraying Lady Liberty as a welcoming figure for the oppressed. However, the poem received little attention during the statue's 1886 dedication, which did not mention immigration.
When this idea began, it was really about liberty; it wasn't about immigration. The United States had ended slavery, and that's why, if you look, she's standing on the chains and shackles.
Almost anything you do involving culture or art, you gotta raise money for. Many people in the United States thought, you know, what is this? Is this a New York City thing?
Emma Lazarus, concerned about the plight of Russian Jews seeking asylum in America, penned a sonnet called "The New Colossus". In it, she imagined Lady Liberty as a "mother of exiles".
The poem got little notice at the time, and at the statue's dedication in 1886, not a single speaker mentioned immigration.
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