[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the island has a land area of 14.717 acres (5.956 ha), and is the property of the federal government.

[5][6][7] The historical developments which led to this construction made Liberty Island an exclave of one state, New York, in another, New Jersey.

An unusual clause in the 1664 colonial land grant that outlined New Jersey's borders reads: "westward of Long Island, and Manhitas Island and bounded on the east part by the main sea, and part by Hudson's river"[8] rather than at the river's midpoint, as was common in other colonial charters.

In 1830, New Jersey planned to bring suit,[10] but the matter was resolved with a compact between the states ratified by Congress in 1834, which set the boundary line between them as the midpoint of the shared waterway.

[12] In 1986 a suit brought by New Jersey residents challenging New York State's jurisdiction over Liberty Island was dismissed.

Portions of the island that are above water are part of New York, while riparian rights to all of the submerged land surrounding the statue belong to New Jersey.

[18] This proved impractical to administer and New Jersey and New York subsequently agreed to share jurisdiction of the entire island.

Utility services, including electricity, water, and sewage, to Liberty and Ellis Islands are provided from the New Jersey side, while mail is delivered from the Battery in New York.

No charge is made for entrance to the Statue of Liberty National Monument, but there is a cost for the ferry service,[25] as private boats may not dock at the island.

[27] At the time of European colonization of the Hudson River estuary in the mid-17th century, much of the west side of Upper New York Bay contained large tidal flats which hosted vast oyster beds, a major source of food for the Lenape native people who lived there at the time.

Three of them (later known as Bedloe's/Love/Liberty, Ellis, and Black Tom) were given the name Oyster Islands (oester eilanden) by the Dutch settlers of New Netherland, the first European colony in the Mid-Atlantic states.

[29] After the surrender of Fort Amsterdam by the Dutch to the British in 1664, the English governor Richard Nicolls granted the island to Captain Robert Needham.

The island was retained by his estate until 1732 when it was sold for five shillings to New York merchants Adolphe Philipse and Henry Lane.

In 1746, Archibald Kennedy (later 11th Earl of Cassilis) purchased the island and a summer residence was established,[34] along with construction of a lighthouse.

Bedloe's Island, alias Love Island, together with the dwelling-house and lighthouse being finely situated for a tavern, where all kinds of garden stuff, poultry, etc., may be easily raised for the shipping outward bound, and from where any quantity of pickled oysters may be transported; it abounds with English rabbits.

Construction of a fort on the island in the shape of an 11-point star began in 1806 and was completed in 1811, protecting New York from British invasion in the upcoming conflict.

[40][41]: 91–92 The statue, entitled Liberty Enlightening the World,[42] was a gift from the people of France to mark the American Centennial.

It was agreed that the Congress would authorize the acceptance of the statue by the President of the United States, and that the War Department would facilitate its construction and presentation.