What is the Statue of Liberty made of?

The Statue of Liberty is one of the United States’ most famous monument. This colossal statue of a robed lady with a torch in her raised right hand and carrying a tablet in her left, stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor.  It is made of more than 300 copper sheets over a steel and iron framework. 

It was designed in 1881 by a French sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and was presented to the people of the United States as a gift from the people of France.  Working from a model only 49 inches high, Bartholdi worked up a full-sized wood and plaster model which was divided into sections. 

Next, thin copper sheets were hammered over the wooden molds and shaped to their contours.  The copper shells were then bolted to the central framework.  The statue was taken apart from shipment from France and reassembled in the United  States.  Even though it is hollow, the statue weighs 225 tons.  It is 151 feet tall. – Dick Rogers

When Were Cannons First Used In Warfare?

Cannon

The first guns were cannons.  They were first used in warfare some time in the first half of the 14^th century.

The big guns that are now known as artillery were once called cannons.  “Cannon” comes from an old Latin word meaning “tube” or “reed.”

The cannon first appeared in Europe during the 1300s, after the knowledge of gunpowder spread.

These early guns were very primitive.  They were simply big iron tubes closed at one end.

In the back end was a small hole called a touchhole.  To fire the cannon, gunpowder was stuffed down the barrel.   Then a rock of iron ball, called a cannonball, was put in front of the powder.

A lighted match or torch was stuck through the touchhole to make the powder explode.

The early cannon was too crude to have much value in the battlefield.  For one thing, it look a long time to load it.  Besides, it was too heavy to move easily and it was difficult to aim—but it could destroy gates and walls of fortresses if it scored a direct hit.–Dick Rogers