In Enlightening the World: The Creation of the Statue of Liberty Yasmin Sabina Khan takes a fresh look at the fascinating story behind the creation of the statue. The author explores the historical period – the idea for a monument to liberty was conceived at the end of the American Civil War – along with the lives of the people central to the statue’s creation. Khan also closely examines the monument itself, describing the sculptural, architectural, and structural design and construction and interpreting the meanings of the statue’s symbols of liberty.