Liberty (personification)
The concept of
Ancient Rome
The
Libertas had been important under the Roman Republic, and was somewhat uncomfortably co-opted by the empire;[2] it was not seen as an innate right, but as granted to some under Roman law.[3] Her attribute of the pileus appeared on the Ides of March coin of the assassins of Julius Caesar, defenders of the Roman republic, between two daggers with the inscription "EID MAR" (Eidibus Martiis – on the Ides of March).
Early modern period
The medieval republics, mostly in Italy, greatly valued their liberty, and often use the word, but produce very few direct personifications. One exception, showing just the cap of liberty between daggers, a copy of coins by the assassins of
With the rise of
A large monument, originally called the "Column of British Liberty", now usually just the "Column to Liberty", was begun in the 1750s on his
In the run up to the
By the time of the
The
As well as such dignified representations, all these figures very frequently figured in the political cartoons that were becoming extremely popular in all the countries concerned over this period. The Napoleonic Wars produced a particular outpouring of cartoons on all sides.
In the 19th century various national personifications took on this form, some wearing the cap of liberty. The Dutch Maiden, accompanied by the Leo Belgicus became the official symbol of the Batavian Republic established after the French occupied the Netherlands.
Depictions in the United States
In the United States, "Liberty" is often depicted with five-pointed stars, as they appear on the American flag, usually held in a raised hand. Another hand may hold a sword which points downward. Depictions which are familiar to Americans include the following:
- The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World), its replicas, and its portrayal on many U.S. postage stamps and coins
- Many denominations of American coins have depicted Liberty in both American Innovation dollar, and others
- The Seal of New Jersey)
- On the dome of the U.S. Capitol as Freedom
- On the dome of the Georgia State Capitol as Miss Freedom
- On the dome of the Texas State Capitol
- On the dome of the Wisconsin State Capitol as Wisconsin
- On the dome of the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana
- On the dome of the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, New Jersey[13]
- Atop the Yorktown Victory Monument on the Yorktown Battlefield near Yorktown, Virginia
- On both Confederatecurrency
In the early decades of the 20th century, Liberty mostly displaced
-
The goddess Liberty is portrayed on the high relief Double eagle (20 Dollars) coin of the United States of America, designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
-
The obverse of thegold bullioncoin in current production, designed by Saint-Gaudens
-
The obverse of thesilver bullion coin in current production, from a design by Adolph A. Weinman
-
A young Liberty, with winged cap, on the Obverse of theWinged Liberty Head dime, which became (incorrectly) known as the Mercury dime, designed by Weinman and issued in the US between 1916 and 1945
-
Liberty depicted wearing a Phrygian cap on the obverse of the Morgan silver dollar, designed by George T. Morgan
-
Liberty Enlightening the World depicted on the obverse of its 1986 100th anniversary Statue of Liberty commemorative half-dollar
See also
- Columbia (name)
- Freedom Monument
- George-Étienne Cartier Monument
- Goddess of Democracy
- Great Seal of France
- Liberty Displaying the Arts and Sciences
- Monument of Liberty (disambiguation)
- Strengthen the Arm of Liberty
- We Owe Allegiance to No Crown
- Kandaka of the Sudanese Revolution
Notes
- ^ Language from the June 1916 The Numismatist: "Supremely confident like the nation she represents, the protective goddess of America moves with a supple grace, while her garments of stars and stripes seem to catch an invisible breeze."
- ^ Sear, 39
- ISBN 0199883076, 9780199883073
- ^ Warner, 275
- ^ Warner, 275
- ^ Higham, 59; Author's "Contents of Part One" quoted, see also lines 25-45; text of Liberty online
- ^ Higham, 59–61
- , National Trust.
- ^ Higham, 61-63
- ^ Higham, 63
- ISBN 0-8308-3279-3, pp. 75–-76
- ^ 1799 seal
- ^ "Places We Call Home: Hackensack, N.J." FDU Magazine. Fall 2001. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
References
- Higham, John (1990). "Indian Princess and Roman Goddess: The First Female Symbols of America", Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society. 100: 50–51, JSTOR or PDF
- Sear, David, Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume 2, 46-48, 49-51, 2002, Spink & Son, Ltd, ISBN 1912667231, 9781912667239, google books
- ISBN 0520227336, 9780520227330, Google Books