French+National+Symbols

The national symbol, Marianne, is truly spectacular. Marianne, (whose drawing you saw in the home page) is much like the American Uncle Sam and has been popular since the founding of the first French Republic.

Marianne A lot of people don't realize that __//The Statue of Liberty//__ is actually a lighthouse in the shape of an egyptian peasent, or fellah. //__The Statue of Liberty__// was made by a young French architect, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. When Edouard Rene de Laboulaye said "If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort—a common work of both our nations." Bartholdi was present when this was stated, and was inspired by it. Bartholdi and and Ismail Pashe, Khedive of Egypt, started the sketches and models of the lighthouse.

The construction of __//The Statue of Libety//__ was delayed due to the Franco-Prussian War, where Bartholdi served as a major of militia. Bartholdi's home provence of Alsace was taken control by the Prussians. In June 1887, Bartholdi crossed the Atlantic with letters of introduction signed by Laboulaye. Bartholdi landed in New Yark Harbor, and decided that that Bedloe's Island would be the best place for The Statue. His reasoning was that since the vesseles coming from sea have to pass this island, they would obviously see this lighthouse. Bartholdi finished his first model of his concept in 1870. The origin, or design, of the statue was made up of mostly Columbia, a female who was seen as an embodiment of the United States and Marianne came to represent France.

Some believe that the name Marianne, came from the name of the Jesuit Juan de Mariana, the 16th century tyranny- or tyrant killer. Some other people believe it was the wife of [|Jean Reubell], a politician. According to an old 1797 story, Barras, a member of the //Directoire//, during an dinner at Reubell's, asked what Marianne for her name.

A short part from the book Barras:

Marie-Anne," she replied—"Perfect," Barras exclaimed, "It is a short and simple name, which befits the Republic just as much as it does yourself, Madame."

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