Statue of Freedom

Lore & Background

The statue was commissioned in 1854 and designed by Thomas Crawford, who executed the plaster model in his studio in Rome, Italy. U.S. Senator and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, later President of the Confederacy, oversaw Capitol construction. Crawford originally included a liberty cap, a Roman symbol of an emancipated slave, but Davis ordered its removal, deeming it inappropriate for a free people. A military helmet with an eagle head and feather crest replaced the cap. Crawford died in 1857 before the model left his studio. The model was shipped from Italy in 1858, but the ship leaked, requiring stops in Gibraltar and Bermuda; half the crates arrived in New York in December 1858, and all sections reached Washington by late March 1859. The statue was cast in five main sections by Clark Mills starting in 1860, with work halted in 1861 due to the Civil War. When the foreman went on strike, Mills turned the project over to Philip Reid, a slave working at the foundry. The statue was finished by end of 1862 and temporarily displayed on Capitol grounds. In late 1863, it was hoisted in sections by former slaves freed by the Compensated Emancipation Act and assembled atop the cast-iron pedestal; the final section was raised on December 2, 1863, to a 35-gun salute.

Reader's Guide

The Statue of Freedom is a significant symbol of the United States, representing victory and peace. Its design reflects a complex history, including a dispute over the liberty cap that highlights tensions over slavery. The statue's installation during the Civil War, using labor from former slaves, adds to its historical weight. It has appeared on official designs such as postage stamps, commemorative coins, and medals including the Medal of Freedom and the Iraq Campaign Medal. The statue underwent restoration in 1993, funded by private donations, and is cleaned every 2–3 years. Its plaster model, reassembled and restored, is on permanent display in the Capitol Visitor Center. The statue conducts lightning safely to the ground via copper wire. Its image is widely recognized, akin to the Statue of Liberty, and it remains a enduring emblem of the nation's ideals and conflicts.

Did You Know?

• The statue's original design included a liberty cap, which Jefferson Davis ordered removed because he considered it a symbol of an emancipated slave.
• The statue was cast by Clark Mills, and when the foreman went on strike, the work was completed by Philip Reid, a slave.
• The statue was hoisted into place by former slaves freed by the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862.
• The statue's head is depicted on a 1923 U.S. postage stamp that was re-issued in 2006.