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Icons of America
The Statue of Liberty: A Transatlantic Story
A stirring new history of Lady Liberty, from its creation in France to its renewed significance in the post-9/11 years
A universally recognized icon, the Statue of Liberty is perhaps the most beloved of all American symbols. Yet no one living in 1885, when the crated monument arrived in New York Harbor, could have foreseen the central place the Statue of Liberty would come to occupy in the American imagination. With the particular insights of a cultural historian and scholar of French history, Edward Berenson tells the little-known stories of the statue’s improbable beginnings, transatlantic connections, and the changing meanings it has held for each successive American generation.
Berenson begins with the French intellectuals who decided for their own domestic political reasons to pay monumental tribute to American liberty. Without any official backing, they designed the statue, announced the gift, and determined where it should go. The initial American response, not surprisingly, was less than enthusiastic, and the project had to overcome countless difficulties before the statue was at last unveiled to the public in New York Harbor in 1886. The trials of its inception and construction, however, are only half of the story. Berenson shows that the statue’s symbolically indistinct, neoclassical form has allowed Americans to interpret its meaning in diverse ways: as representing the emancipation of the slaves, Tocqueville's idea of orderly liberty, opportunity for "huddled masses," and, in the years since 9/11, the freedom and resilience of New York City and the United States in the face of terror.
A universally recognized icon, the Statue of Liberty is perhaps the most beloved of all American symbols. Yet no one living in 1885, when the crated monument arrived in New York Harbor, could have foreseen the central place the Statue of Liberty would come to occupy in the American imagination. With the particular insights of a cultural historian and scholar of French history, Edward Berenson tells the little-known stories of the statue’s improbable beginnings, transatlantic connections, and the changing meanings it has held for each successive American generation.
Berenson begins with the French intellectuals who decided for their own domestic political reasons to pay monumental tribute to American liberty. Without any official backing, they designed the statue, announced the gift, and determined where it should go. The initial American response, not surprisingly, was less than enthusiastic, and the project had to overcome countless difficulties before the statue was at last unveiled to the public in New York Harbor in 1886. The trials of its inception and construction, however, are only half of the story. Berenson shows that the statue’s symbolically indistinct, neoclassical form has allowed Americans to interpret its meaning in diverse ways: as representing the emancipation of the slaves, Tocqueville's idea of orderly liberty, opportunity for "huddled masses," and, in the years since 9/11, the freedom and resilience of New York City and the United States in the face of terror.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2011
27 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Edward Berenson
18 books4 followersEdward Berenson is professor of history, director of the Institute of French Studies, and director of the Center for International Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, New York University. His previous books include Heroes of Empire: Five Charismatic Men and the Conquest of Africa. He lives in Irvington, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 13, 2022
My appreciation of this book grew toward the end. I was hoping for a deep dive into the Statute of Liberty’s history which at first seemed secondary to a more abstract discussion of the statue’s iconic and shifting meaning. But the author’s purpose won out as the narrative shifted forward in time to the often bizarre, vulgar, and kitschy popularization of the Liberty image, the extravagant (I remember it well) centennial celebrations, post 9/11 experiences, and discordant views on immigration. As the book ends in 2011 the last seems shockingly prescient. One small quibble is that while the book has plenty of historic illustrations of the statute, many of which are oddly satiric, there was no realistic photo to use for reference. For that I had to google and look elsewhere.
June 6, 2014
The Statue of Liberty is an American icon in a league of its own. Its history (inception and legacy) however often go uncontested; elementary school lessons usually tell us it was a gift from the French government to the US, its made of copper (same material as pennies), and symbolizes American liberty particularly associated with turn of the century immigration concentrated in New York City.
Berenson delves into the complex story of how certain French elites wanted to strengthen ties with America at a time when Americans were appearing to identify more readily with Britain and Germany in Europe at the expense of France. Feeling slighted at the ostensible sympathy expressed by French rulers toward the south during the Civil War, Americans were largely uncertain about their past allies in the second half of the nineteenth century. Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi's statue took many years to conceptualize, finance, construct, transport to America, and re-construct, but eventually it came to stand on Bedloe's Island (what has been renamed "Liberty Island" by Congress since 1956) in New York Harbor beginning with its dedication by President Grover Cleveland on October 28, 1886. While the French people footed the bill for the statue itself, Americans were asked to finance the location and pedestal for Lady Liberty. The federal government, though eventually supportive in word did little to nothing to aid the endeavor financially leaving private fundraising to its own devises. This is quite interesting given a modern perspective, but at the time the federal government (as well as many Americans) had difficulty conceptualizing how a statue in New York was a national concern at all. It seemed to be more of local, or state, affair.
Unlike other histories of the Statue of Liberty, Berenson wisely goes beyond its initial construction and explains how its meaning and symbol has changed in subtle ways but endured overall to remain a mostly positive (though troubling to many at different times for different reasons) icon of not only American liberty, but the high ideals of global liberty and human rights transcending national boundaries. While this is a lofty claim (it is much easier to see how the statue first and foremost evokes associations with New York City, and then America, and then perhaps in a smaller way the globalized view of intangible liberties/ideals beyond the American context), Berenson does paint a vivid picture with true merit for thoughtful consideration. In an American Studies fashion, he also discusses the cultural uses and commodification of the Statue's image for souvenirs (even before its initial construction to raise funds) as well as being used for political commentary in movies (from Hitchcock's SABOTEUR to PLANET OF THE APES to GHOSTBUSTERS II but notably missing in his rather extensive chronicle is the first X-MEN movie in the late 90s that links mutants with immigrants by putting the final battle scene on Liberty Island). Overall, this was a very fun and approachable book. It was thorough but not tedious, and I recommend it to any one interested in the Statue of Liberty, American icons, or large scale public art (it was somewhat aspiring to be the modern day Colossus of Rhodes: one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World).
Berenson delves into the complex story of how certain French elites wanted to strengthen ties with America at a time when Americans were appearing to identify more readily with Britain and Germany in Europe at the expense of France. Feeling slighted at the ostensible sympathy expressed by French rulers toward the south during the Civil War, Americans were largely uncertain about their past allies in the second half of the nineteenth century. Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi's statue took many years to conceptualize, finance, construct, transport to America, and re-construct, but eventually it came to stand on Bedloe's Island (what has been renamed "Liberty Island" by Congress since 1956) in New York Harbor beginning with its dedication by President Grover Cleveland on October 28, 1886. While the French people footed the bill for the statue itself, Americans were asked to finance the location and pedestal for Lady Liberty. The federal government, though eventually supportive in word did little to nothing to aid the endeavor financially leaving private fundraising to its own devises. This is quite interesting given a modern perspective, but at the time the federal government (as well as many Americans) had difficulty conceptualizing how a statue in New York was a national concern at all. It seemed to be more of local, or state, affair.
Unlike other histories of the Statue of Liberty, Berenson wisely goes beyond its initial construction and explains how its meaning and symbol has changed in subtle ways but endured overall to remain a mostly positive (though troubling to many at different times for different reasons) icon of not only American liberty, but the high ideals of global liberty and human rights transcending national boundaries. While this is a lofty claim (it is much easier to see how the statue first and foremost evokes associations with New York City, and then America, and then perhaps in a smaller way the globalized view of intangible liberties/ideals beyond the American context), Berenson does paint a vivid picture with true merit for thoughtful consideration. In an American Studies fashion, he also discusses the cultural uses and commodification of the Statue's image for souvenirs (even before its initial construction to raise funds) as well as being used for political commentary in movies (from Hitchcock's SABOTEUR to PLANET OF THE APES to GHOSTBUSTERS II but notably missing in his rather extensive chronicle is the first X-MEN movie in the late 90s that links mutants with immigrants by putting the final battle scene on Liberty Island). Overall, this was a very fun and approachable book. It was thorough but not tedious, and I recommend it to any one interested in the Statue of Liberty, American icons, or large scale public art (it was somewhat aspiring to be the modern day Colossus of Rhodes: one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World).
July 6, 2022
This is one in a series of short books on memorable American events produced by Yale University Press. It is well-written, carefully documented, and traces the artistic, economic, and political journey from the idea for the statue to its placement in New York harbor. The author provides historical content to better understand the importance of the statue in the late 19th century. Black and white photos help illustrate the artistic and creative architectural achievements found in the statue. There is an especially impressive chapter describing the statue's evolving image and impact on incoming immigrants to the U.S. One reviewer wrote, [it is] "fast-paced, highly readable, and a tale that never disappoints."
October 31, 2020
Lady Liberty
I am enjoying learning all the things I was never taught in school. I liked the book it was informative and easy to read. I noticed one of the reviews said the kindle version didn't have any pictures and there were blank pages, I did not have that problem. My kindle version had all its pictures and no blank pages. I definitely recommend this book.
I am enjoying learning all the things I was never taught in school. I liked the book it was informative and easy to read. I noticed one of the reviews said the kindle version didn't have any pictures and there were blank pages, I did not have that problem. My kindle version had all its pictures and no blank pages. I definitely recommend this book.
April 1, 2022
A very interesting and well written book.
August 9, 2025
Fun and easy...and still manages to get a lot of information across.
October 14, 2012
If you want lots of interesting historical details and little known facts about the history of the Statue of Liberty from the initial planning stages to the present time, how it was built, how funds were raised for it, etc., you will enjoy this book. I am usually very interested in reading about history and historical events, but this one had a hard time keeping my focus at points. The material was what I might expect, but the writing style was much drier and to the point than someone like David McCullough, an author I enjoy, might have done.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews