I booked many excursions before we left, including a timed ticket for the Statue of Liberty and pedestal tour. We had to go through security along with showing proof of vaccination but the lines moved swiftly and we were on the ferry to Liberty Island.
Juliette was really excited to see the Statue of Liberty. The crowds were not overwhelming at all.
The Statue of Liberty is made out of copper and was a gift to the United States from France and was started to be assembled in 1885. The statue was built in France and brought over in crates on ships. A lot of fund raising was made to make the pedestal for the statue here.
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was a French sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty and the metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel.
The tabula ansata is inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI
A broken shackle and chain at her feet are symbolic of the recent abolition of slavery at the time she was constructed.
The gift of the statue was one of friendship between France and the US. On July 4, 1884 a ceremony was held in Paris and the Statue was formally presented to a US ambassador.
We walked up the flights of stairs to the pedestal. The area was really narrow but definitely gave us a different vantage point. The crown has been closed since covid began. The museum was very informative.
This bolt helps hold the statue to the pedestal.
We took the ferry then to Ellis Island. It was later in the afternoon and didn't have very much time to explore. It had so much information! It was very insightful and gave us an understanding of the immigration process at that time.
Ellis Island was open for over 62 years and processed over 12 million immigrants. It is said that over 40% of US citizens can tie themselves to an ancestor that went through Ellis Island.
It is opened its doors in 1892. During the first year over 450,000 immigrants were processed here.
They were inspected on the ship and also in the facility for disease and infection, and there were financial questions, mental tests, and people getting their names and information. Many interpreters were employed here to efficiently and accurately process the immigrants as possible.
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