The Statue of Liberty rises from Liberty Island with torch and tablet held high, but a small detail near her feet changes the reading: broken shackles. The monument’s form joins national independence, abolition, and the idea of liberty moving forward.
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The raised torch catches the eye first, but the statue’s story begins lower down. At Liberty’s feet lie broken chains and shackles, a symbol of the abolition of slavery that is difficult to see from ground level.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The statue’s tablet gives July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals.
- The torch represents enlightenment.
- Broken chains at the statue’s feet symbolize abolition of slavery.
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