Who Owns The Statue of Liberty? | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Ownership of the Statue of Liberty has been a long-standing dispute between New York and New Jersey, with both states claiming ownership over the iconic landmark.

Key Insights

• 🗽 The ownership dispute over the Statue of Liberty has a long history dating back to colonial times.
• 🇳🇨 The vague and incomplete colonial charter contributed to the ongoing dispute between New York and New Jersey.
• ✊ Border disputes between states in the early years of America's formation were not uncommon, and power struggles with the federal government were an unsettled issue.
• 🥺 The Supreme Court's involvement was sought to resolve the dispute, however, New York's refusal to participate led to a settlement through negotiations between the two states.
• 🇦🇨 Currently, Ellis Island and Liberty Island are considered New York enclaves, but the question of land ownership under the water remains.

Transcript

Who owns the Statue of Liberty? New York or New Jersey? It should be straight forward, but the island upon which the statue stands, Liberty Island… … has been part of a long fight between the states over their river border… … and the islands between them, … … with rounds in the 90s, the 80s, the 30s (the 1830s) and possibly more beyond 2000. But ... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why has the ownership of the Statue of Liberty been a contentious issue between New York and New Jersey?

The ownership struggle arises from a colonial charter that failed to clearly define the boundaries and ownership of islands in the river. New Jersey claimed that these islands, including Ellis Island and Liberty Island, belonged to them, while New York disagreed.

Q: How was the ownership dispute between New York and New Jersey resolved?

The matter was initially taken to the Supreme Court in 1832, but New York refused to participate. Eventually, both states reached a settlement through negotiations, with New Jersey giving up claims to Staten Island in exchange for New York recognizing their northern border extending into the river.

Q: Who currently owns Ellis Island and Liberty Island?

Ellis Island and Liberty Island are considered New York enclaves inside New Jersey's border. However, ownership of the land under the water remains disputed between the two states.

Q: How did the dispute over Ellis Island arise?

New Jersey claimed ownership of Ellis Island primarily due to an increase in its size over time. New York argued that the embiggened island was still theirs. The dispute was taken to the Supreme Court, which ruled that everything above the water belonged to New York and everything below belonged to New Jersey.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The dispute over the ownership of the Statue of Liberty stems from a vague colonial charter that divided the land between New York and New Jersey and failed to clearly define the boundaries of the islands in question.

• New Jersey initially claimed that the Hudson River belonged to them and, therefore, the islands in the river, including Ellis Island and Liberty Island, were theirs. However, New York contested this claim.

• The matter was taken to the Supreme Court in 1832, but New York refused to participate, arguing that the court had no authority to settle the dispute between the states. Eventually, both states reached a settlement through negotiations.

• Currently, Ellis Island and Liberty Island are considered New York enclaves, but their dispute over the land under the water remains unresolved.