The Statue of Liberty was built as a monument to American freedom and democracy, and as a symbol of the friendship between France and the United States. The idea was proposed in 1865 by the French political thinker and abolitionist Édouard de Laboulaye, who admired the American fight for independence and the abolition of slavery. The statue was meant to celebrate the centennial of U.S. independence and the shared commitment to liberty and justice by both nations. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue as a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, holding a torch symbolizing enlightenment and freedom. The statue was constructed in France, shipped to the U.S., and dedicated in 1886 as a gift from the people of France to the American people. It also serves as a welcoming symbol for immigrants arriving in the United States, embodying ideals of liberty, freedom, and opportunity.