Here is the story of how the Statue of Liberty got its pedestal when Joseph Pulitzer, a Jewish immigrant and famous newsman, created one of the first American crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for it. When Joseph Pulitzer first saw the Statue of Liberty's head in Paris, he shared sculptor Auguste Bartholdi's dream of seeing France's gift of friendship stand in the New York harbor. Pulitzer loved words, and the word he loved best was liberty. Frustrated that many, especially wealthy New Yorkers, were not interested in paying for the statue's needed pedestal, Pulitzer used his newspaper, the New York World, to call on all Americans to contribute. Claudia Friddell's text and Stacy Innerst's illustrations capture this inspiring story of how one immigrant brought together young and old, rich and poor, to raise funds for the completion of a treasured national monument.

Magnificent art complements an unvarnished history of the Statue of Liberty and its relationship to immigration policy in the United States. It began in 1865 in Glatigny, France, at a dinner party hosted by esteemed university professor Édouard René de Laboulaye and attended by, among others, a promising young sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. It was the extravagant notion of creating and giving a monumental statue to America that celebrated the young nation’s ideals. Bartholdi, and later civil engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, caught the spirit of the project and thus began the epic struggle to create, build, transport, and pay for the monument. Although the Statue of Liberty was to be a gift from France, the cost of its creation was meant to be shared with America. To the Lady’s creators and supporters, America offered liberty and the right to live one’s life unencumbered—that is, without fear and with a rule of law and a government that derived its power from the consent of the people it governed. Yet, in America, fundraising for the Lady dragged. Had it not been for publisher Joseph Pulitzer’s flashy fundraising campaign in his newspaper the World, the entire project likely would have collapsed. The tale, abundant with lively and interesting stories about the Statue of Liberty’s creators, is also told in the context of America’s immigration policies—past and present. Explored, too, is the American immigrant experience and how it viscerally connects to the Lady. Also integral to the tale is poetry—a sonnet—written by a then–largely unknown Jewish poet, Emma Lazarus, who moved a nation and gave a deeply rich and fresh meaning and purpose to the statue. In addition to the prose, Lady Liberty includes thirty-three elegant, full-page stirring paintings by celebrated artist Antonio Masi. Lady Liberty, a smart, timely, entertaining, and nonpartisan jewel of a book, is written for every American, young and old, and those who dream of one day becoming Americans. Praise for Lady Liberty “A beautiful reminder of what makes us so special, blended with the history that tells us that if America loses our welcoming soul, we have lost what makes us so special.” —David Lawrence Jr., retired publisher of the Miami Herald and chair of The Children's Movement of Florida “Now, at a time when immigration is hotly debated, Lady Liberty helps both residents of New York and enthusiastic visitors like me appreciate the history, culture and artistry behind this monument that for generations has welcomed immigrants to America.” —Richard A. Oppel Sr., editor-in-chief emeritus, Texas Monthly, and chair of the Pulitzer Prize Board, 2008-2009

The fate of a country lies in one woman’s hands... U.S. Vice President Sybil Stone, code-named Lady Liberty, has proven she can hold her own against some of the world’s most influential power brokers. But now, negotiating a vital peace agreement in Geneva, Switzerland, Sybil receives an urgent message calling her back to American soil. In seventy-two hours disaster will strike, catapulting the United States into a war that will cost millions of lives. Only Sybil Stone holds the key to stopping it. Yet between Sybil and success lies a minefield of intrigue, betrayal, twisted motives, and three merciless enemies. Her only hope of survival--and the world’s--rests with Agent Jonathan Westford, a judiciously ruthless operative with one goal: in the face of overwhelming odds, to keep Lady Liberty alive. Time is running out and trust is running thin. But Lady Liberty and Agent Westford know they must succeed--or the first-strike missile will launch...

The goddess origins of the Statue of Liberty and her connections with the founding and the future of America • Examines Lady Liberty’s ties to Native American spiritual traditions, the Earth Mother, Roman goddesses, Black Madonnas, and Mary Magdalene • Reveals the sharp contrast between depicting “liberty” as a female and the reality of women and other suppressed classes even today • Explains how this Goddess of the New World inspires all people toward equality, compassion, peace-keeping, and environmental stewardship Uncovering the forgotten lineage of the Statue of Liberty, Bob Hieronimus and Laura Cortner explain how she is based on a female symbol representing America on the earliest maps of the continent in the form of a Native American “Queen.” The image of a woman symbolizing independence was embraced by the American revolutionaries to rally the populace against the King, filling the role of “Founding Mother” and protector of the fledgling republic. Incorporating Libertas, the Roman goddess of freed slaves, with Minerva, Demeter, Justice, and the Indian Princess, Lady Liberty is seen all over the nation’s capital, and on the seals and flags of many states. Showing how a new appreciation for the Statue of Liberty as the American goddess can serve as a unifying inspiration for activism, the authors explore how this Lady Liberty is a personification of America and its destiny. They examine multiple traditions that influenced her symbolism, from the Neolithic Earth Mother, to Mary Magdalene, Columbia, and Joan of Arc, while revealing the sharp contrast between depicting “liberty” as a female and the reality of women and other suppressed classes throughout history. Their study of “Liberty Enlightening the World” led them to conclude that the empowerment of contemporary women is essential for achieving sustainable liberty for all. Sounding the call for this “Goddess of the New World” to inspire us all toward peacekeeping, nurturing, compassion, and environmental stewardship, the authors explain how the Statue of Liberty serves as the conscience of our nation and is a symbol of both the myths that unite us and the diversity that strengthens us.

How did 121,000 Americans save their most beloved icon? Here is an inspiring story about the power we have when we all work together! "All rise to this evocative, empowering offering." -- Kirkus Reviews On America's 100th birthday, the people of France built a giant gift! It was one of the largest statues the world had ever seen -- and she weighed as much as 40 elephants! And when she arrived on our shores in 250 pieces, she needed a pedestal to hold her up. Few of America's millionaires were willing to foot the bill. Then, Joseph Pulitzer (a poor Hungarian immigrant-cum-newspaper mogul) appealed to his fellow citizens. He invited them to contribute whatever they could, no matter how small an amount, to raise funds to mount this statue. The next day, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters poured in. Soon, Pulitzer's campaign raised enough money to construct the pedestal. And with the help of everyday Americans (including many thousands of schoolchildren!) the Statue of Liberty rose skyward, torch ablaze, to welcome new immigrants for a life of freedom and opportunity! Chana Stiefel's charming and immediate writing style is perfectly paired with Chuck Groenink's beautiful, slyly humorous illustrations. Back matter with photographs included.

Lady Liberty Weeps: A dream disenchanted addresses one of many avoided subject matters. This land of enchantment as seen from the eyes of the immigrant, as perfect as we envision, rears its ugliness in many ways. As welcoming as some may have experienced, others yearn to be embraced and considered American just as any other. This fictional novel confronts the learned behaviors of racial bias as evident in how some children treat their colleagues. Galen, the main character of this book fell victim to bullying as will be witnessed through discriminatory insults and acts of violence disseminated from these learned biases. Having parents, one may describe as egalitarian, Galen was taught that the rights he was afforded which included the right to be an American, was as deserved as any other person. Denial of such a right either because of racial or ethnic biases, objectively places one in the position of less advantaged, and subjectively to psychological complexes of inferiority. Galen has lived through and survived the stressors of adolescence. His traumatic experience and the strength garnished by four of his teenage friends, proved to hasten a level of maturity not expected of his age group. His belief in God provided strength where there was none to be had through earthly means. Teenage adversity, peer abuse or social insensitivity, regardless of its title, proves damaging to the mental health of our youth. In a society where immigrants, racial and ethnic minorities seem destined to be subjected to abuses, it gives little hope for a better tomorrow. The five friends shared the collective belief that there is good in all of us and were determined to see change blossom from a society that has held on to its prejudices and sought to bring the greatness of America from its dormancy to its wakefulness.

This historical novel is a cautionary tale intended to emphasize how history repeats in liberty's battle against tyranny. It spans four dramatic timeframes of the French Revolution's "reign of terror," the American Civil War, the Prague Spring Uprising in the height of the cold war, and concludes in the desperate Iranian Revolution, which ushered in an age of terrorism and war on freedom. The saga chronicles the genealogy of a French family which escapes the guillotines of Paris to live in Prague, Bohemia, in the 1800s. From there, the story morphs into the struggle of one of this same family's French/Czech descendants who immigrated to America, as he fought in the Battle of Shiloh. The storyline returns to the days in Prague, 1968, as an "Arab Spring" phenomenon occurred to overthrow their oppressive rule, only to be followed by a new "reign of terror." The final segment of the book takes the reader to the streets of Tehran, Iran, as a repeat of the revolt against a monarchy, as in France, resulted in mayhem and violence. The book is a thus a cautionary tale for the days we live in. Finally, there is an emotional, personal study of survival despite oppression, which those persecuted under tyranny learned. The repeated character of Pierre, Pjeter, and Peter tells of this family's eventual escape to freedom. Uniquely, the story is told by the Statue of Liberty herself, as she narrates the saga on the morning of September 11, 2001.

The Statue of Liberty holds a special place in the hearts of Americans, the people of France, and freedom lovers throughout the world. But up until now, the full story behind its origins has not been told. Author Richard N. Rhoades peels back the mystery surrounding the icon, explaining how French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi looked to a Roman goddess to serve as the model for the statue. On Oct. 28, 1886, at the unveiling ceremony, President Grover Cleveland praised Bartholdis goddess statue as greater than all that have been celebrated in ancient song. But Rhoades goes beyond the historical data and examines the statues pagan origins by analyzing Scripture. He establishes that the most revealing chroniclers of the Statue of Liberty were the Hebrew prophets who predicted the building and setting of an image of the Great Goddess of the ancient world on her own pedestal in a latter day country code-named the land of Shinar. Discover the real origins of the Statue of Liberty, its adoption by the American people as a national icon and its historical and biblical significance in Lady Liberty: The Ancient Goddess of America.