France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States.

Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to USA?

Quick Scoop

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the United States, symbolizing friendship and shared ideals of liberty and democracy. It was formally presented in the 1880s and installed in New York Harbor, where it still stands as an icon of freedom.

Fast Facts

  • Country that gifted it: France.
  • Full name of the statue: “Liberty Enlightening the World.”
  • Purpose of the gift: To celebrate the centennial of American independence and the friendship between France and the USA.
  • Where it stands: New York Harbor, United States.
  • Who accepted it: U.S. representatives accepted it on behalf of the American people in the 1880s.

Simple timeline

  1. Idea proposed in France as a symbol of liberty and friendship with the United States.
  1. Statue designed and constructed in France, funded largely by public donations.
  1. Official “deed of gift” confirms it as a gift from the French people to the United States (dated July 4, 1884).
  1. Statue shipped in pieces to New York and assembled on a U.S.-funded pedestal.
  1. Installed and dedicated in New York Harbor in 1886.

Mini viewpoint: “Was it really a gift?”

Some modern discussions and forum posts point out that while the statue itself was a gift from France, the United States paid for and built the pedestal it stands on. This can create confusion, with a few people thinking the whole monument was paid for by the USA, but historically the statue proper was indeed a French gift, while the base was funded on the American side.

[1][7] [9][5] [9] [9] [3][7] [8][6]
Aspect France United States
What they provided Statue of Liberty sculpture itself as a gift. Pedestal, site preparation, and installation.
How it was funded Public donations from people in France. Private and public fundraising for the base.
Symbolism Friendship and shared ideals of liberty. Gateway symbol for immigrants arriving in New York.

TL;DR

France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the USA; America built the pedestal and gave the statue its now-iconic home in New York Harbor.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.