Liberty enlighting the world; French: La liberty?? Clairant Le Monde) is a huge neoclassical sculpture on the free island of New York Harbor in New York City. The bronze statue is a gift from the French to the American people. It was created by French sculptor fr? d？ Designed by ric Auguste Bartholdi, built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The statue of liberty is the statue of the robbed woman representing Libertas. She put the torch on her head with her right hand and the Roman numeral "July IV mdcclxxvi" (July 4, 1776) on her left hand, the date when the United States declared independence. A broken chain lay at her feet. The statue became a symbol of freedom and America, a welcome sight for immigrants from abroad.

Bartholdi was inspired by French law professor and politician douard Ren. De Laboulaye, who is said to have commented in 1865, said that any monument to the independence of the United States was a joint plan of the French and American people. Due to the turmoil in France after the war, the work on the statue did not begin until the early 1870s. In 1875, Laboulaye proposed that France fund the statue, while the United States provide the statue and build the base. Before the statue was fully designed, Bartholdi completed the head and arms of the torch, which were advertised at the international fair.

The arm holding the torch was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876 and Madison Square Park in Manhattan from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for Americans, and by 1885, the lack of money threatened the work of the plinth. Joseph Pulitzer, the publisher of New York world, started to push for donations to complete the project and attracted more than 120000 donors, most of whom contributed less than a dollar. The statue was built in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on a completed plinth, later known as the island of bedelo. The statue's completion was marked by the first tape parade in New York and a dedication ceremony hosted by President Grover Cleveland.

The statue was run by the U.S. lighthouse Council until 1901, and then by the U.S. Department of the army. It has been maintained by the National Park Service since 1933. Since 1916, public access to balconies around the torch has been banned for safety reasons.