Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States of America?

The story behind the answer

France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States, dedicated in 1886 as a symbol of friendship and shared ideals of freedom following the American Revolution. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed it, and Gustave Eiffel engineered its iron framework. The statue commemorated the centennial of American independence (1776–1876) and highlighted the historic Franco-American alliance.

To remember it’s French, think “Liberté” from France’s motto—Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité—matching “Liberty.” Another cue: Eiffel (as in the Eiffel Tower) helped build it. Shipped in crates and assembled on Bedloe’s Island (now Liberty Island), its copper skin has turned green over time due to a protective patina. Public fundraising, spurred by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, financed the pedestal.