Right of Refusal
The artists Edouard Laboulaye and Auguste Bartholdi intended the statue to be a monument that would commemorate America’s commitment to liberty and equality established by the Declaration of Independence. You can view the original designs on display in the Museum of the City of New York.
When the American government saw the designs they refused to have an African-American be a National Monument and sent them back. They preferred to have a monument that was European and made no references to slavery.
Auguste Bartholdi redesigned the statue to resemble the face of his mother Charlotte Beysser Bartholdi. The only remnant of the original design is the chain (from the shackle) showing from under Lady Liberty’s dress.