Armed Freedom

The figure of Armed Freedom was dedicated December 2, 1863, during the American Civil War in the hope that the ceremony would boost the morale of the Union troops. The figure is a woman holding a sword in its sheath in her right hand and a shield and victory wreath in her left. She wears a helmet with stars and an eagle's head. For many years, most people thought that Armed Freedom was a Indian because of the difficulty of seeing her (she's over 300 feet off the ground atop the dome of the United States Capitol) and the eagle feathers on her helmet.

The statue was sculpted by Thomas Crawford. Crawford was born in 1813 in New York. He went to Rome to study sculpture in 1835 and made that city his home, visiting America only rarely. Crawford died before Armed Freedom was finished and another artist finished the fine details. Bronze sculptures are made from a plaster cast. The casting of Armed Freedom in bronze was delayed for six years due to financial difficulties and the outbreak of the Civil War.