The statue and the poem only gradually became prominent symbols of generous immigration policies, reaching an apotheosis with the 1986 centennial celebrations, a Reagan-era corporate extravaganza. It was meant at a tribute to the writer, a socialite who was also an advocate for Jewish refugees and who died young. Originally written for an auction that raised funds for the statue’s pedestal, the now famous words did not reach the statue until 1903 and then only on a bronze plaque placed inconspicuously in a stairway landing. The poem, “The New Colossus,” was added later. Millions of immigrants knew they had arrived at a spiritual destination as much as a geographic one when they saw the robed woman, her crown and torch. That was the intent of its creators, and that’s why she holds a tablet inscribed with the date of the Declaration of Independence. Since it was erected in 1886 the Statue of Liberty has served as an emblem of what the United States has to offer the world, liberty as a form of enlightenment.
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