The Statue of Liberty was a gift and dedication from France in 1886. It originally arrived in pieces in 1885, but was reassembled on Bedloe's Island (now Liberty Island) after the pedestal was fixed.
Many people may realize that already, that the French gave us Lady Liberty, torch in hand and all, but what they may not know is that it was originally meant as a symbol of the end of slavery. When we look at the statue, and because it's near Ellis Island, most of us think it's a figure that welcomes immigrants --come one, come all — and that's the modern interpretation of it.
But, that's not why it was originally created. The original design was supposed to have broken chains at the top, the American government didn't want that, however. The sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, cleverly placed the broken chains at the base of the statue.