France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States.
The monument was a gift marking the friendship between the two countries and commemorating the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel’s engineering team helped create its iron framework.
The statue was assembled on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor, now called Liberty Island. France supplied the statue, while the United States built the pedestal. Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper campaign helped raise American funds for the pedestal after financing became difficult.
The dedication ceremony took place on October 28, 1886, more than a decade after the 1876 centennial. The statue is often described simply as an American monument, but its origin as a French gift is central to its history and to the international story surrounding America250.