Who Really Paid for the Statue of Liberty? | October 28, 1886

France supplied the statue. Americans still had to finish the pedestal. Discover how small donations helped complete the Statue of Liberty, why she was originally brown, and how Emma Lazarus helped transform her meaning. October 28, 2026 marks 140 years since the dedication on October 28, 1886. CHAPTERS 00:00 A gift with nowhere to stand 00:17 October 28, 1886 00:40 An idea after the Civil War 01:01 Choosing the harbor 01:21 Building a giant 01:47 Liberty in pieces 02:09 Two sides of the bargain 02:33 Across the Atlantic 02:57 The people's fundraiser 03:19 Small gifts, large result 03:45 Putting Liberty together 04:07 The day of dedication 04:31 The color visitors did not see 04:52 The promise at her feet 05:19 A poet changes the meaning 05:43 An invitation added later 06:05 140 years later PRIMARY AND INSTITUTIONAL SOURCES https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/histor... https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/histor... https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/histor... https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/histor... https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/histor... https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/docum... VISUAL CREDITS Modern location footage: National Park Service. Archival images and films: Library of Congress and NPS collections. Dates are shown on screen. NPS and LOC do not endorse this production. No claim to original U.S. Government works. Narration uses the channel’s synthetic narrator. Original instrumental score. #StatueOfLiberty #OnThisDay #HistoryByDate