Goddess of Liberty Figure
date: label: date made
content: ca 1850 - 1880
notes: label: Description
content: Before Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty were created, Columbia was an idealized feminine figure that personified the new nation of America. The concept was created in 1697 when Chief Justice Samuel Sewall of the Massachusetts Bay Colony wrote a poem that suggested that the American colonies be called Columbina, a feminized version of Christopher Columbus’ last name. Over 70 years later, the name evolved when former slave, Phillis Wheatley, wrote an ode to George Washington invoking Columbia in 1775. Over time, the image of Columbia became a symbol for American ideals during wars such as the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and World War I, as well as the subject of political cartoons and literary works. With her liberty cap and patriotic shield, Columbia stood as the spirit of the country, and her impact can still be seen in the naming of companies such as Columbia Bicycles, Columbia Records, and Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).
topic: label: depicted
content: Liberty
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Folk Art
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Art
label: See more items in
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Eleanor and Mabel Van Alstyne American Folk Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CL.65.1126
label: accession number
content: 256396
label: catalog number
content: 65.1126
objectType: label: Object Name
content: figure
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 79 in x 24 in; 200.66 cm x 60.96 cm