Lady Liberty: Our Icon
Standing in New York’s harbor, the Statue of Liberty is one of the world’s most iconic monuments and a towering beacon of freedom.
A gift to the United States from France as a symbol of friendship and a celebration of the nation’s centennial, Lady Liberty was dedicated in 1886. A Greco-Roman depiction of Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty, her official title is “Liberty Enlightening the World.”
Her torch is a symbol of enlightenment, lighting the way to freedom and guiding us toward the path of liberty and justice.
Her crown, a series of 25 windows best seen at night when the crown shines from within and 7 rays which radiate like the sun, creates a halo symbolizing another way that Lady Liberty enlightens the world.
Her left hand holds a keystone-shaped tablet inscribed with the date of America’s Declaration of Independence, “July 4, 1776.” The keystone is a symbol of the rule of law as the central cohesive source of support and stability in America on which everything else depends.
Half-hidden by her robes, her feet are surrounded by a broken shackle and chains representing freedom from oppression and servitude.
Every bit of symbolism in the Statue of Liberty exemplifies the ideals for which New York Citizens Audit was formed. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, along with the love of this state and our great country are what brought together this grassroots group of citizen volunteers. And together, New York Citizens Audit is dedicated to restoring accuracy and the rule of law to our elections, and the primacy of the American people in choosing our government by consent.