LEGO Architecture 21042

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Édouard de Labouaye was a prominent French political
thinker and a strong supporter of President Abraham
LincolnduringtheAmericanCivilWarInheproposed
creating a monument that would be gifted to the United
StatesbythepeopleofFranceincelebrationoftherecent
UnionvictoryintheCivilWarandtheabolitionofslavery
Ten years later with the help of the sculptor Frédéric-
Auguste Bartholdi Labouaye turned his proposal into
reality and founded the Franco-American Union to raise
fundsfortheprojectItwashopedthattheFrenchpeople
would finance the proposed Statue now entitled “Liberty
EnlighteningtheWorld”whiletheAmericanpeoplewould
payforitspedestal
OnoneofhistripstotheUStohelpraisefundsthesculptor
BartholdirealizedthatNewYorkwasthegatewaytoAmerica
and spotted the perfect location for the Statue to stand
Bedloe’sIslandwasvisibletoeveryshipenteringorleaving
thecity’sharborandBartholdienvisionedhisstatuerising
outofthestar-shapedFortWoodthatalreadystoodonthe
island
Theprojectsooncaughttheimaginationofmanyonboth
sides of the Atlantic and when the French had raised
francstheconstructionoftheStatuefinallybegan
TheGift