Dedicated in 1886, "Liberty Enlightening the World" (known as The Statue of Liberty) is a gift from France to the United States of America to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the birth of liberty in the US. and the end of slavery after the Civil War. She has since become a universal symbol of freedom, embraced by advocates of self-government the world over.

The Statue of Liberty has welcomed over 12 million immigrants entering the USA through New York harbor. She is now visited yearly by millions of admirers from all corners of the Earth.

Source:

Statue of Liberty National Monument: National Park Service
Statue of Liberty - National Monument & Ellis Island: NPS

¹ Photo of Head of Statue of Liberty on display in Paris from Library of Congress: This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1923. Full photo on Wikipedia.

Links:

The Statue of Liberty: Ben's Guide to U.S. Government
Statue of Liberty: WhitehouseKids.gov