★ In this story 03
There are tens of thousands of monuments, memorials, and statues throughout the United States that commemorate people, events, and ideals. One such figure is the Statue of Freedom that sits atop the US Capitol building in Washington, DC. Originally named Freedom Triumphant in War and Peace, and also known as Armed Freedom, or simply Freedom, the allegorical statue was designed by Thomas Crawford to symbolize the liberty, unity, and strength of the American republic as it stood proudly over the meeting place of the US Congress.
Design and Symbolism
The history of the United States is full of stories rich in courage, honor, sacrifice, and determination. Monuments preserve those stories and express gratitude for the people behind them. Crawford’s nearly 20-foot-tall bronze statue weighs about 15,000 pounds and stands on a cast-iron pedestal topped with a globe.
Though it wasn’t the original plan, Freedom wears a military-style helmet adorned with an eagle’s head, feathers, and nine stars. In her right hand, she holds a sheathed sword wrapped in a scarf and, in her left, a laurel wreath of victory and a shield with 13 stripes. Her helmet and sword show readiness to defend her country and symbolize unity and strength. The ten bronze-tipped points on Lady Freedom’s headdress, shoulders, and shield are built to prevent birds from roosting and to protect the statue from lightning.
Her classical dress is secured with a brooch inscribed “U.S.” Over that is a Roman-style robe trimmed with fur and decorative balls. The globe Freedom stands on is encircled with the words E Pluribus Unum, which means “Out of many, one,” and is a traditional national motto of the United States. The official one is “In God We Trust.”
The Original Headdress
When architect Thomas U. Walter drew his design for the new cast-iron dome on top of the US Capitol after its approval in 1855, he included an outline for the Goddess of Liberty, a monumental figure to crown the dome. Sculptor Thomas Crawford was commissioned to design the statue and produced several versions before arriving at the final one we see today.
Contention arose about Crawford’s original idea of using a liberty cap as the statue’s headdress. In ancient Rome, a liberty cap was a knitted red hat handed out to slaves when they were freed. It later became a symbol of liberty during the American and French revolutions. Jefferson Davis, the US secretary of war and later the president of the Confederate States (1861-1865), oversaw the construction of the Capitol building. A slave owner, he expressed immediate distaste for the use of a liberty cap, arguing that its “history renders it inappropriate to a people who were born free and would be enslaved.” He demanded that Crawford create a different design, which used instead a military helmet.
The Construction and Installation of the Statue of Freedom
Creating, building, and transporting something of this size was extremely difficult. Crawford first built a plaster model of the Statue of Freedom in his studio in Rome, Italy. Unfortunately, he died (1857) before the entire plaster statue shipped to the United States. The model was packed into six crates and shipped from Italy in a small sailing vessel. The boat experienced a serious leak that forced the ship to stop in Bermuda. It remained there for months until other arrangements could be made. It took until late March 1859 to get all the parts to Washington, DC.
The Civil War caused a delay in the production of the Statue of Freedom, but the final section, comprising her head and shoulders, was hoisted to the top on Dec. 2, 1863, to a salute of 35 guns answered by the firing of arms at the 12 forts that surround Washington, DC. Nearly 130 years later, on May 9, 1993, a helicopter brought the statue down to the East Front Plaza for cleaning and restoration. It took several months, but it was put back in place on Oct. 23, 1993. The plaster model is currently displayed in the Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center.
4 Questions
The story, in brief
What is the Statue of Freedom on the US Capitol dome?
The Statue of Freedom is an allegorical bronze figure that sits atop the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Designed by Thomas Crawford, it symbolizes the liberty, unity, and strength of the American republic over the meeting place of the US Congress.
Why does the Statue of Freedom wear a military helmet instead of a liberty cap?
Thomas Crawford originally planned a liberty cap for the statue's headdress, but that idea was rejected during the Capitol's construction. Jefferson Davis argued the cap was inappropriate because it had been given to freed slaves in ancient Rome, so Crawford was required to replace it with a military-style helmet.
How was the Statue of Freedom built and installed on the Capitol dome?
Thomas Crawford first made a plaster model in his studio in Rome, Italy, and the full model was shipped to the United States in six crates. After delays caused by a leaking ship and later by the Civil War, the final section, the head and shoulders, was hoisted to the top on Dec. 2, 1863.
What happened to the Statue of Freedom after it was placed on the Capitol dome?
The statue remained on the dome for nearly 130 years before being removed for cleaning and restoration. On May 9, 1993, a helicopter carried it down to the East Front Plaza, and after several months of work it was returned to its place on Oct. 23, 1993.
Kirsten Brooker
Culture Correspondent for Liberty Nation and Generation Liberty. Kirsten loves to write about culture from the point of view of an everyday American who lives deep in the heart of the Midwest. She is the mother of two adorable girls, likes classic rock, and humbly wears the crown of a former Homecoming Queen with grace and style.
