The Statue of Liberty (1697)

The Statue of Liberty is the national memorial of America, facing the ocean from Liberty Island in New York Harbour. More than one hundred years ago the people of France presented the sculpture to the American people as a sign of friendship consolidated in the years of American Revolution. Since that time the Statue of Liberty has become not only the embodiment of friendship between the two nations, but also the symbol of freedom and democracy.

The Statue was designed by Frederick Auguste Bartholdi, to commemorate the centennial of American Independence. The creation of the statue became the joint French-American project, according to which the Americans built the pedestal, and the French constructed the Statue and then assembled it in the USA. The assembling of the Statue on the pedestal took four months, and on Oct. 28, 1886 the ceremony of unveiling the memorial took place with a great gathering of people. The gift to the centennial of America happened to be 10 years late.

The statue of gigantic size was located on the granite pedestal on the Liberty Island. The right hand of the statue holds aloft a torch and the left hand carries a tablet upon which is inscribed: "July 4, 1776". The height of the monument from the ground to the top of the torch is 93 metres; the weight of the whole monument is 225 tons. The height of the statue is 33.86 m., the length of its right arm is 12.8 m., its hand is 5 m., and the width of its face is 3.5 m.

The visitors pass 354 steps to the observation deck in the crown of the Statue or 192 steps to the top of its pedestal. In the Statue's crown there are 25 windows that symbolize the earth pearls and the heavenly rays, enlightening the world.

In the early 1900's many immigrants came by boats to the USA. They saw the statue on an island, near New York City; it was their first sight of America.

There is a museum in the bottom part of the statue, which contains exhibits about the history of immigration in the U.S. There are many pictures, letters and objects from the native countries of the immigrants.

***

3. Philadelphia – Historical City of Independence (1151)

Philadelphia, which was founded in 1682 by William Penn, a prominent statesman, was a large city in Colonial America. Even now some parts of the old city remind one of the past. Visitors can walk along the old streets; see the old houses and public buildings.

Here in 1774 the first Congress of delegates from all the colonies was held. Among the delegates were men of great fame, such as George Washington and John Adams, the first and second Presidents of the USA. The main decision of the First Continental Congress was to unite the efforts of all the colonies against Great Britain.

The second Continental Congress, held in Philadelphia a year later, decided to organize an army to defend the colonies. George Washington was chosen commander-in-chief and the War of Independence began. The Congress named a committee of five to draw up the Declaration of Independence. The work was actually done by Thomas Jefferson, then 33 years old. On July 4, 1776 the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of the fourth of July as Independence Day began the next year.

Philadelphia was the city where the U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1788-1789. In 1790 the first Congress met in Philadelphia and decided that Philadelphia would be the capital of the USA while the federal capital in Washington, D.C. was being built. It remained the capital for the next 10 years.

***