A few days ago I gave a brief description of the persona “Uncle Same”, describing who he is, what he stands for, and the importance of this American icon.  Today I thought I would introduce you to another patriotic American figure, this time a woman whose name is Lady Liberty. Unlike Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty was never a real person, she is in fact a statue, but she is another symbol of patriotism in the United States.   Lady Liberty is the physical representation of “freedom”, a value that most Americans hold very dear.  The physical statue of Lady Liberty is also called the Statue of Liberty and is found in New York Harbor in New York City.  The representation of Lady Liberty in art, comics, film, etc. is often used in a similar manner as the representation of Uncle Sam; as a stand in for the United States government and the country as a whole.  Below is a cartoon in which this is depicted.  Lady Liberty is such a famous American symbol I am sure most of you have seen her before many times.  You many not know the history behind this figure though, so I thought I would briefly summarize it here for you.

The Statue of Liberty, or Lady Liberty, is a robed female representing “Libertas” the Roman goddess of freedom.  She carries in one hand a torch and in the other a tablet that has the date of the Declaration of American Independence, July 4, 1776.  The idea for this statue was first proposed by a Frenchman, a supporter of the young country of America, in the mid-1860’s.  After designing the Stature of Liberty, to represent the values of freedom and liberty, a location was secured for this large statue so that it could be viewed by as many people as possible.  The location of the Statue of Liberty is one that makes this large (111 feet or 34 meters high) symbol of freedom one of the first sights immigrants saw when arriving by boat to the United States during the early and mid 20th century.  The Statue of Liberty has stood in her current location since a dedication ceremony was held in October 1886.  Lady Liberty is also visible by airplane for those arriving in the in New York by airplane today.  She is also a popular tourist attraction in New York City and can be visited by boat and then climbed to the top via stairs inside the statue.