MashGet

Reporting from New York -- For the first time since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans on Saturday were allowed to clamber up the steep steps to enter the Statue of Liberty's crown, a Fourth of July event that promoters said was a sign of the United States' efforts to overcome fears of the past and celebrate a new American era.

The first ferry bringing people to Liberty Island purred up the New York Harbor at 7 a.m., as the early-morning sun shone on the statue's golden torch, more than 300 feet above the sparkling water.