History

• Jewish-American poet Emma Lazarus wrote "The New Colossus" for an art show put on to raise money for the base of the Statue of Liberty. The U.S. was responsible for funding the base. France gave the statue as a gift, funded by its own citizens.
  
  

Misconceptions

• The Statue of Liberty was intended to inspire the countries of Europe in their battles against oppression and tyranny. The book Lady Liberty holds gives the date of American Independence Day. After the addition of the words of Emma Lazarus, the statue also became a welcoming symbol to immigrates arriving in America.
  
  

Time Frame

• Emma Lazarus wrote her poem about the Statue of Liberty in 1886, the year the statue was dedicated. She died at age 36, one year later. Sixteen years after her death, in 1903, part of Lazarus's sonnet was carved on the Statue of Liberty's base as a memorial. In 1845, Lazarus's entire sonnet was placed over the entrance to the statue.
  
  

Famous Ties

• Irving Berlin wrote a musical, "Miss Liberty," about the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. One of the songs set Emma Lazarus's poem about the statue to music. It is the only time Berlin used somone else's words in one of his songs.
  
  

Fun Fact

• The Statue of Liberty almost didn't make it to America. While it was being shipped in crates across the Atlantic, the ship almost sank in a storm.