The execution was intended to display the new administration’s firm will to end slave trade. Would a remote island site or NYC’s most famous prison better serve that purpose? The question answers itself. What did Bedloe’s Island and Fort Wood become later? Hint: You can see it real well from Staten Island ferry. (Click.) Bedloe’s later became Liberty Island.
The State of Liberty image above was extracted from a larger image on the Library of Congress web site at
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/preview/lessons/america-dreams/