Statue of Freedom
Bronze statue atop the U.S. Capitol dome since 1863.
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Since 1863, a bronze female figure known as the Statue of Freedom has been positioned atop the United States Capitol dome.[1]
Key facts and history
Work halted in 1861 due to the Civil War but finished by the end of 1862 with the help of the enslaved laborer Philip Reid.[2] The final section, the head and shoulders, was raised on December 2, 1863, to a 35-gun salute.[3] The statue depicts a female figure with a military helmet, a sheathed sword in her right hand, and a laurel wreath and shield in her left.[1] Clark Mills, operating a foundry near Washington, cast the statue in five primary sections starting in 1860.[2]
Philip Reid, the only known enslaved person involved in the statue's creation, took charge of the casting and assembly after the foreman walked off the job.[4][5] A brooch with "U.S." inscribed on it fastens her chiton, and a fringed blanket draped over her left shoulder partly covers it.[6]
What the cited sources add
The Architect of the Capitol account states that the statue's crested helmet and sword are more commonly associated with Minerva or Bellona, Roman goddesses of war.[2] The Architect of the Capitol notes that the statue cost $23,796.82, exclusive of installation.[2] The Philip Reid account describes Reid as "aged 42 years, mullatto color, short in stature, in good health, not prepossessing in appearance but smart in mind".[5] That model is now the centerpiece of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center.[2]
On April 16, 1862, Philip Reid gained his freedom when Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act.[5] After being stored for 25 years, the plaster model was put back together and restored in the Russell Senate Office Building basement rotunda, where it went on permanent public display in January 1993.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Statue of Freedom" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: United States. Architect of the Capitol. cn, "Compilation of works of art and other objects in the United States Capitol", Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1965; "The Statue of Freedom", Architect of the Capitol (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Statue of Freedom | Architect of the Capitol", aoc.gov. facts only, no text reused. aoc.gov
- Wikipedia, "Statue of Freedom" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gale, Robert L. Thomas Crawford: American Sculptor. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 1964, p. 190. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Statue of Freedom" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom", Architect of the Capitol (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom", Architect of the Capitol. facts only, no text reused. aoc.gov
- Wikipedia, "Statue of Freedom" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Capitol Hill Facts | Architect of the Capitol | U.S. Capitol Building", Aoc.gov; "Architect of the Capitol Frequently Asked Questions", Architect of the Capitol (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Statue of Freedom" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "AOC To Begin Move of Statue of Freedom Model into Capitol Visitor Center", Architect of the Capitol, 2008-06-02 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Statue of Freedom (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Sculptures And Statues
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Statue of Freedom (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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