<P> By 1875 , France was enjoying improved political stability and a recovering postwar economy . Growing interest in the upcoming Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia led Laboulaye to decide it was time to seek public support . In September 1875 , he announced the project and the formation of the Franco - American Union as its fundraising arm . With the announcement , the statue was given a name , Liberty Enlightening the World . The French would finance the statue ; Americans would be expected to pay for the pedestal . The announcement provoked a generally favorable reaction in France , though many Frenchmen resented the United States for not coming to their aid during the war with Prussia . French monarchists opposed the statue , if for no other reason than it was proposed by the liberal Laboulaye , who had recently been elected a senator for life . Laboulaye arranged events designed to appeal to the rich and powerful , including a special performance at the Paris Opera on April 25 , 1876 , that featured a new cantata by composer Charles Gounod . The piece was titled La Liberté éclairant le monde , the French version of the statue 's announced name . </P>
<P> By 1875 , France was enjoying improved political stability and a recovering postwar economy . Growing interest in the upcoming Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia led Laboulaye to decide it was time to seek public support . In September 1875 , he announced the project and the formation of the Franco - American Union as its fundraising arm . With the announcement , the statue was given a name , Liberty Enlightening the World . The French would finance the statue ; Americans would be expected to pay for the pedestal . The announcement provoked a generally favorable reaction in France , though many Frenchmen resented the United States for not coming to their aid during the war with Prussia . French monarchists opposed the statue , if for no other reason than it was proposed by the liberal Laboulaye , who had recently been elected a senator for life . Laboulaye arranged events designed to appeal to the rich and powerful , including a special performance at the Paris Opera on April 25 , 1876 , that featured a new cantata by composer Charles Gounod . The piece was titled La Liberté éclairant le monde , the French version of the statue 's announced name . </P>
when did france give the united states the statue of liberty
when did france give the united states the statue of liberty
September 1875
September 1875