Skip to main content
Back to Show
Iconic America

The French Connection

America's greatest symbol has its roots in a small town in France, about 300 miles from Paris, where Bartholdi was born and first conceived of his vision for the statue. There is no better way to understand the statue's evolution than to go where it all began.

Support Provided By
Iconic America
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:11
The Golden Gate bridge is an engineering marvel that symbolizes America’s can-do spirit.
Stone Mountain
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:38
As the nation wrestles with its past, the fate of Stone Mountain stands in question.
The American Bald Eagle
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:08
The story of how the Bald Eagle soared to its vaunted perch in American iconography.
The Statue of Liberty
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:11
A look at The Statue of Liberty's evolving meaning as symbol for a “nation of immigrants."
The Cowboy Preview
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:24
The cowboy is the quintessential American — fiercely independent, brave and laconic.
The Gadsden Flag
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:11
The Gadsden flag has been co-opted by a wide variety of Americans over its long history.
The Hollywood Sign
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:35
A look at the L.A. landmark that became an international symbol of the American dream.
Fenway Park
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:27
No ballpark is more iconic than Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox
Active loading indicator