Liberty Island in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
“The New Colossus”
In 1883, a young writer, Emma Lazarus, donated a poem to an auction raising funds for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. “The New Colossus” vividly depicted the Statue of Liberty as offering refuge from the miseries of Europe. The sonnet received little attention at the time, but in 1903 was engraved on a bronze plaque and affixed to the base of the Statue. Still, it was only in the late 1930’s, when millions fled fascism, that the poem became fully identified with the Statue.
The New Colossus
cries she
with silent lips, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
This tablet, with her sonnet to the Bartholdi Statue of Liberty engraved upon it, is placed upon these walls
in loving memory of
Emma Lazarus
Born in New York City, July 22, 1849
Died November 19, 1867
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Man-Made Features. A significant historical date for this entry is July 22, 1849.
Location. 40° 41.39′ N, 74° 2.784′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is on Liberty Island. Marker is located on Liberty Island, near the food concession area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New York NY 10004, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. “Mother of Exiles” (here, next to this marker); Emma Lazarus (here, next to this marker); Bartholdi (a few steps from this marker); The New Colossus (a few steps from this marker); New York Sculptures (a few steps from this marker); Inside the Statue (a few steps from this marker); Symbolism (a few steps from this marker); Statue Facts (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
More about this marker. A handwritten copy of “The New Colossus” appears at the upper left of the marker. A picture of the plaque containing the poem is at the bottom of the marker and has a caption of “This bronze plaque was presented by philanthropist Georgiana Schuyler in 1903, twenty years after Emma Lazarus wrote her sonnet. Originally displayed on the interior wall of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, it was placed in the Statue of Liberty exhibit in July, 1986.”
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 8, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 833 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 8, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 5. submitted on June 1, 2022, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.