The Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous monuments in the world. She was gifted to America by France in 1884 and has been an iconic part of America’s history ever since.

Lady Liberty is seen in movies, written about in books, studied in history class, and visited by millions of tourists each year. Despite her popularity, however, most people don’t know about all the deeply symbolic meanings that were built into her.

When asked, the majority of people say that she represents America’s welcoming of immigrants, which is certainly true since she is often portrayed as being one of the first things people saw when coming to the country in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The reality, however, is that she was designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi to have many symbolic elements with various meanings, all of which are important. Let’s go through a few of them to learn some history.

Starting with the highest point of the monument, the torch is held up in her right hand. It is made with copper and gold leaf, reflecting the sun’s rays beautifully. Flood lights illuminate the torch at night. It was made to represent enlightenment and as a guide toward freedom and justice.

Interestingly, the torch that you see today is actually a replacement for the original, which sits in the lobby of the museum. It was replaced in 1986 during a renovation.

The crown on the head of the Statue of Liberty is also very unique, and doesn’t pay homage the regal crowns of kings and queens. Instead, the crown has windows and rays coming off the top. This is intended to represent a halo, which radiates forward like the sun in order to illuminate the world. There are seven rays on the crown, which represent the seven seas and the seven continents of the world.

In her left hand, she has a 23-foot-long slab of copper that is made to be a tablet. The tablet has the Roman numerals that read July 4, 1776, which, of course, is Independence Day. The tablet also represents a book of law, indicating the importance of the rule of law in America.

One of the most overlooked elements of the Statue of Liberty is the broken chains at her feet. These chains were controversial at the time as they represented the end of slavery, which had only happened a short time ago.

Overall, it is an incredible landmark that has been inspirational to millions, and will remain so for generations to come.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?