"We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home;
   nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."
   —President Grover Cleveland, accepting the Statue of Liberty on behalf
   of the U.S., October 28th, 1886
   A symbol stands for an idea. The Statue of Liberty stands in Upper New
   York Bay, a universal symbol of freedom. Originally conceived as an
   emblem of the friendship between the people of France and the U.S. and
   a sign of their mutual desire for liberty, it was also meant to
   celebrate the abolition of slavery following the U.S. Civil War. Over
   the years the Statue has become much more. It is the Mother of Exiles,
   greeting millions of immigrants and embodying hope and opportunity for
   those seeking a better life in America. It stirs the desire for freedom
   in people all over the world. It represents the United States itself.
   How was the Statue of Liberty designed to be a symbol? How have
   circumstances enhanced its meaning? Help clarify the nature of symbols
   for your students as they study the Statue of Liberty, complete
   research on a national symbol, and use their research to communicate a
   message of their own.
   [1]https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/statue-liberty-meaning-and-u
   se-national-symbol#:~:text=The%20Statue%20of%20Liberty%20stands,followi
   ng%20the%20U.S.%20Civil%20War.

References

   1. https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/statue-liberty-meaning-and-use-national-symbol#:~:text=The Statue of Liberty stands,following the U.S. Civil War