Strengthen the Arm of Liberty is the theme of the Boy Scouts of America's fortieth anniversary celebration in 1950. The campaign was inaugurated in 1949 with a dramatic ceremony held at the base of the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World). Approximately 200 BSA Statue of Liberty replicas were installed across the United States.

Replicas

As part of the Strengthening the Arm of Liberty campaign to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), hundreds of scale replicas of the Statue of Liberty have been created nationwide. The Statue of Liberty, by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, bears the classical appearance of the Roman stola, sandals, and facial expression which are derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her raised right foot is on the move. This symbol of Liberty and Freedom is not standing still or at attention in the harbor, but moving forward, as her left foot tramples broken shackles at her feet, in symbolism of the United States's wish to be free from oppression and tyranny.

Manufacture

Between 1949 and 1952, approximately two hundred 100 inch replicas of the statue, made of stamped copper, were purchased by Boy Scout troops and donated in 39 states in the U.S. and several of its possessions and territories. The project was the brainchild of Kansas City businessman, J.P. Whitaker, who was then Scout Commissioner of the Kansas City Area Council. The copper statues were manufactured by Friedley-Voshardt Co. (Chicago, Illinois) and purchased through the Kansas City Boy Scout office. The statues are approximately 8+1/2 feet tall without the base, constructed of sheet copper, weigh 290 lb, and originally cost US$350 1950 plus freight. The mass-produced statues are not meticulously accurate and a conservator noted that "her face isn't as mature as the real Liberty. It's rounder and more like a little girl's."

Present

Many of these statues have been lost or destroyed, but preservationists have been able to account for about 100 of them, and BSA Troop 101 of Cheyenne, Wyoming has collected photographs of more than 100 of them. Statues include Birmingham, Alabama, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Greeley, Colorado, at the Mississippi riverfront in Burlington, Iowa, at Overland Park, Kansas, at Chimborazo Park in Richmond, Virginia, and Veterans Memorial Park in Waterloo, Iowa. The copper skins can oxidize, resembling the original, and some have been renovated. The statue in Burlington had been taken from its original position in Dankwardt Park, completely renovated, repaired, and polished, and then placed on a pedestal at the riverfront, where it sits today.

List of BSA Statue of Liberty replicas

The following is a list of locations of the replica statues.

Alabama

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Guam

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Camp Miakonda, Sylvania(Toledo)

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Texas

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Artifacts

A Strengthen the Arm of Liberty brass pin was produced for uniform and civilian wear. The pin is in the shape of the Statue of Liberty superimposed on a fleur de lis. The Robbins Company, which made BSA's Eagle medals for many years, made these pins and the winged "R" hallmark is prominently displayed on the reverse. A commemorative neckerchief slide was made for Boy Scouts and for the Cub Scouts.