Why Does The Statue of Liberty Have Chains on Her Feet?

Our Way Black History Fact covers the real reason the Statue of Liberty has chains on her feet.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now, it's time for the Way Black History Fact.
In today's Way Black History Fact, we're going to talk
about why the Statue of Liberty has chained feet. National
Park Service INPs dot gov is where this comes from.
In eighteen eighty six, the Statute of Liberty was a
symbol of democratic government and Enlightenment ideals, as well as
the celebration of the Union's victory in the American Civil

(00:21):
War and the abolition of slavery. Eduard de Laboullie, the
French political thinker, US constitution expert and abolitionist who first
proposed the idea of a Great Monument as a gift
from France to the United States, was a firm supporter
of President Abraham Lincoln and his fight for abolition. La
Boullie saw abolition not only as a way to eliminate immorality,

(00:43):
but also as a way to protest repressive tendencies in France.
As an abolitionist, Laboulie was an honorary member of the
Philadelphia branch founded in eighteen sixty two of the Union
League Club. The Union League Club was a group of
people who were dedicated to the new Republican Party. The
un Union's cause in the Civil War and the abolition
of slavery. Additionally, Labouie was a co founder and president

(01:07):
of the French Anti Slavery Society. This society was founded
in eighteen sixty five. In essence, it called upon all
nations to abolish slavery. Additionally, the members also raised money
that was then given to newly freed slaves in the
United States. The abolition of slavery and the Union's victory
in the Civil War in eighteen sixty five, Laboullie's wishes
of freedom and democracy were turning into a reality in

(01:29):
the United States. In order to honour these achievements, Laboullier
proposed that a gift be built for the United States
on behalf of France. Laboulie hoped that by calling attention
to the recent achievements of the United States, the French
people would be inspired to call for their own democracy
in the face of a repressive monarchy. When Laboulie's Statue
of Liberty Enlightening the World was completed, it not only

(01:50):
represented democracy, but also symbolized American independence and the ends
of all types of servitude and oppression. A broken shackle
and shame lie at the statute right foot. The chain
disappears beneath the draperies, only to reappear in front of
her left foot. It's in link broken. However, although the
broken shackle is a powerful image, the meaning behind it

(02:11):
was not yet a reality for African Americans in eighteen
eighty six. After the statue's dedication in eighteen eighty six,
the Black press began to debunk romantic notions of the
Statue of Liberty and American history. Racism and discrimination toward
African Americans did not end after the Civil War or
with the dedication of the statue. It continued on for

(02:32):
more than a century, and I'd argue it still continues.
As a result, the statue was not a symbol of
democratic government or Enlightenment ideals for African Americans, but rather
a source of pain. Instead of representing freedom and justice
for all, the statue emphasized the bitter ironies of America's
professed identity as a just in free society for all people,
regardless of race. From the time the statue's dedication, attitudes

(02:55):
towards the statue in the African American community were ambivalent
and uncertain. Now, I want to make sure that I
read where this came from again, Okay, the National Park
Service NPS dot gov. Okay, so this is not we
said this a lot Q. This is not ramses and
q's thoughts. This is not our words, this isn't chat GPT,
this is in Wikipedia. This is the United States government.

(03:17):
And I didn't see too many words in here that
needed to be struck according to Trump's recent executive orders,
So this truth may continue to stand. Indeed, the Statue
of Liberty does honor the fact that slavery was ended
in the United States, and so it does at least

(03:38):
it was intended to represent the plight of black folks
as well. And it's important, I think now more than
ever to remind people that we have been a part
of this country, and our struggle built this country. And
if anything tells the story, it's the Statue of Liberty.
So there you have it.