The meaning of the broken chain at the foot of the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty It is not only a symbol of New York City, but of the entire USA. It was one of the first things that immigrants saw when they arrived in that country. Was a gift from the french government to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. All of his attributes have symbolismbut did you know that at his feet there is a broken chain? Do you know the meaning of the broken chain at the foot of the Statue of Liberty?

What does the broken chain at the foot of the Statue of Liberty mean?

Among the symbols that we see represented in the famous statue, we find the diadem that is the distinctive of the god Heliospersonification of the Sun, in Greek mythology. The rays that come out of the crown represent the 7 continents and the 7 seas. The torch that he carries in his right hand is a recognition of the century of enlightenment and the Clipboard on the left is an allusion to the laws and right. The date on which the Declaration of Independence was signed is inscribed on it: JULY IV MDCCLXXVI. But no one notices the broken chain at his feet and that hides a deep meaning.

The idea of ​​giving a Statue of Liberty to the Americans came from Édouard René Lefebvre de Laboulaye, French jurist and politician who was born in Paris in 1811. Eduardo Laboulaye was a great expert on the Constitution of the United States, a firm supporter of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and a convinced abolitionist. She believed in freedom of the people and that that same freedom was a right of each person individually, inalienable and sacred.

As an abolitionist, Laboulaye was an honorary member of the Union League Clubin its Philadelphia branch, which among other issues advocated the end of slavery. He was co-founder and president of the French Anti-Slavery Society, which called for all nations in the world to abolish this execrable practice. Its members raised money to help the slaves of the United States who had just achieved freedom.

After the Civil War and the victory of the Union, slavery was abolished. Laboulaye’s wishes for freedom and democracy were coming true in the US and the politician proposed Give the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World to North Americans as a symbol of union with France, expressing the hidden desire that democracy would also reach his country. In addition to American independence and democracy, the statue It also symbolized the end of any type of servitude or oppressionthat’s why They placed a broken shackle and chain under his right foot.. The chain disappears under the clothing and reappears on the front of the left foot with its last broken link. This is the meaning of the broken chain at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.

If you were interested in this article, you may want to know more facts about New York City: Curiosities about New York, the Big Apple.