The idea of creating the Statue of liberty began in France at a dinner party hosted by Edouard rene lefebvre Laboulaye, a scholar Laboulaye and Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, a sculptor, began to discuss the idea of presenting the United states with a monument to memorialize independence and human liberty Bartholdi sailed from France to New York on June 8, 1871, to propose the building of the statue to honor the friendship between France and the United States. As the ship pulled into New York Harbor, Bartholdi spotted the perfect location, Liberty island During his trip to the United States, he met with US President Ulysses S. Grant: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American poet; Horace Greeley, a New York editor and politician; and others. Bartholdi traveled across the United States carrying a sketch of the statue and a small model. Everyone was receptive, but financial bac king was difficult to find• The idea of creating the Statue of Liberty began in France at a dinner party hosted by Edouard Rene Lefebvre Laboulaye, a scholar. Laboulaye and Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, a sculptor, began to discuss the idea of presenting the United States with a monument to memorialize independence and human liberty. Bartholdi sailed from France to New York on June 8, 1871, to propose the building of the statue to honor the friendship between France and the United States. As the ship pulled into New York Harbor, Bartholdi spotted the perfect location, Liberty Island. During his trip to the United States, he met with US President Ulysses S. Grant; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American poet; Horace Greeley, a New York editor and politician; and others. Bartholdi traveled across the United States carrying a sketch of the statue and a small model. Everyone was receptive, but financial backing was difficult to find