It was six years after the 1865 dinner party before Bartholdi could begin work on the statue. For one thing, France was under the tight grip of Napoleon III, who didn’t want to celebrate liberty.
For another, in 1870, France and Germany were fighting the Franco-Prussian War, and Bartholdi had enlisted.
After the war ended in 1871, Bartholdi once again turned his attention to the monument, and he and Laboulaye resumed their conversations. Laboulaye asked Bartholdi to travel to the United States. He wanted Bartholdi to see the country and find out what people thought about the idea of the statue.
On June 8, 1871, Bartholdi set sail for New York City. Many of the people on board the ship were immigrants who were hoping to start a new life in America. As the ship approached New York City, the passengers climbed onto the deck, eager for their first glimpse of America. Bartholdi, too, couldn’t wait to see the country. As he looked ahead, he saw Bedloe’s Island guarding the entrance to New York Harbor. Bartholdi immediately knew he had found the perfect home for his statue.