On May 21, 1884, the statue was complete. It had taken almost 20 years to go from idea to reality.
There was a ceremony at the factory where it was built. The U.S. minister to France and the French prime minister were there. The president of the Franco-American Union said: “We commit it to your care, Mr. Minister, that it may remain forever the pledge of the bonds which should unite France and the great American nation.”
Workmen spent the spring of 1885 taking the statue apart. Then it was packed and shipped to the United States. It filled 214 crates. On June 17, 1885, crowds cheered as the ship Isère entered New York Harbor.
More than a year later, the statue was dedicated to the people of America.
