Fast Facts about United States Patriotic Symbols

The Pledge of Allegiance-

It is a promise Americans make to support the United States of America. People put their right hand over their heart when they say the Pledge of Allegiance. People also stand and look at the American flag when they say the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Statue of Liberty-

The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America. The Statue of Liberty is located near New York City. It is one of the biggest statues ever made. It was a gift from France to the United States and was given to us in 1886. The Statue of Liberty represents America’s freedom. The Statue holds a tablet in one hand with the roman numerals representing July 4, 1776. In the Statue’s right hand she is holding a torch which is meant to shine light on freedom around the world. There is a poem at the bottom of the Statue that promises freedom to people who come to America.

The Bald Eagle-

The bald eagle is only found in North America. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird but in 1782, Congress made the bald eagle the national bird. The bald eagle is on the Great Seal of the United States and on the Seal of the President of the United States. It is a symbol of freedom, strength, and courage. The bald eagle can live up to 30 years in the wild and it is not bald. The bald eagle has white feathers on its head. A picture of the bald eagle can be found on many coins and currency.

The Flag of the United States of America-

The United States flag has 13 stripes. Seven are red and 6 are white. It also has 50 white stars on a blue background. The stripes represent the 13 original colonies. The 50 stars represent the 50 states in the U.S.

The first U.S. flag was designed in 1777. The flag has been changed many times since then. New stars are added each time new states join the union.

The National Flower: The Rose-

The rose, said to be about 35 million years old, has been used as a symbol of love, beauty, war, and politics throughout the world. The flowers are generally red, pink, white, or yellow and grow naturally throughout North America. The rose became the official flower of the United States in 1986.

In October 1985, the Senate passed a resolution that declared the rose as the National Floral Emblem of the United States. Senate Joint Resolution 159 was passed by the House of Representatives on September 23, 1986.

The resolution asked the president to issue a proclamation declaring the rose as the national flower. A proclamation announces an act by the government and does not have the effect of law.

President Reagan signed the resolution on October 7, 1986 in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. On November 20, 1986, President Reagan issued Proclamation 5574: The National Floral Emblem of the United States of America: The Rose.

The Liberty Bell-

The Liberty Bell has become the symbol of freedom in the United States. It rang when the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.

The Bell was cast in London, England in 1752. It is made mostly of copper and tin. After it arrived in the U.S., the Bell cracked. A new bell was made from the metal in the old one, but this one also cracked. A third bell was built from the same metal, and now this one has a crack too!

The last time the bell rang was on February 23, 1846 for George Washington's birthday celebration. Today, the Liberty Bell hangs in Philadelphia for all to see.

The Oak Tree-

In November of 2004, a bill was passed through Congress and the President signed it making the Oak Tree the national tree for the United States of America. America now has one of the grandest trees on earth as its National Tree. The Oak is one of the largest, the oldest, and most magnificent trees.

The Star Spangled Banner-

The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem or song of the United States. The words were written by Francis Scott Key in 1814. He watched a night-time battle between England and America. He was very excited when the American flag was still flying in the morning. He wrote these words about the flag:

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight;
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

We still stand and sing our National Anthem at the beginning of many sporting events, civic events, and many other events.

The White House-

The White House is the home of the President of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Every President except George Washington has lived there.

The President’s office is called the Oval Office. Here the President does the business of the country. He signs bills and Executive Orders, and he meets with staff, visitors, and guests.

The Great Seal of the United States of America-

On July 4, 1776, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were given the task of creating a seal for the United States of America. The delegates of the Constitutional Convention believed an emblem and national coat of arms would be evidence of an independent nation and a free people with high aspirations and grand hopes for the future.

The Great Seal was finalized and approved six years later on June 20, 1782. The seal reflects the beliefs and values that the Founding Fathers wanted to pass on to their descendents.

In the center of the seal is an bald eagle, our national bird. It holds in its beak a scroll inscribed E pluribus unum, which is Latin meaning "out of many, one" and stands for one nation that was created from 13 colonies. In one claw is an olive branch, while the other holds a bundle of thirteen arrows. The olive branch and arrows "denote the power of peace and war."

A shield with thirteen red and white stripes covers the eagle's breast. The shield is supported solely by the American eagle to denote that Americans should rely on their own virtue. The red and white stripes of the shield represent the states united under and supporting the blue, representing the President and Congress. The color white signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Above the eagle's head is a cloud surrounding a blue field containing thirteen stars, which forms a constellation. The constellation denotes that a new State is taking its place among other nations.

Do you see a pattern of thirteen in the Great Seal?

  • 13 stars in the crest above the eagle
  • 13 stripes in the shield upon the eagle's breast
  • 13 arrows in the eagle's left claw
  • 13 olives and leaves in the eagles' right claw
  • 13 letters in the motto carried by the eagle, E Pluribus Unum

Why thirteen? Thirteen represents the first thirteen states - Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Uncle Sam-

Uncle Sam, a figure symbolizing the United States, is portrayed as a tall, white-haired man with a goatee. He is often dressed in red, white, and blue, and wears a top hat.

The exact origins of Uncle Sam as a symbol for the United States are unknown. But the most widely accepted theory is that Uncle Sam was named after Samuel Wilson.

During the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson was a businessman from Troy, NY that supplied the U.S. Army with beef in barrels. The barrels were labeled "U.S." When asked what the initials stood for, one of Wilson's workers said it stood for Uncle Sam Wilson. The suggestion that the meat shipments came from "Uncle Sam" led to the idea that Uncle Sam symbolized the Federal Government and association stuck. In 1961, Congress passed a resolution that recognized Samuel Wilson as the inspiration for the symbol Uncle Sam.

But Sam Wilson looked nothing like the Uncle Sam pictured above. Uncle Sam's traditional appearance, with a white goatee and star-spangled suit, is an invention of artists and political cartoonists. One of these political cartoonists was named Thomas Nast. Nast produced many of the earliest cartoons of Uncle Sam.

The most famous picture of Uncle Sam appeared on an Army recruiting poster. The poster was designed in World War I, and was used again in World War II. The caption reads "I Want You for U.S. Army." James Montgomery Flagg drew this picture, and served as the model too!

The Capitol Building-

Built on a hill popularly called Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, the U.S. Capitol has been the home of the House of Representatives and the Senate since 1800.

In March 1792, a design contest was announced to design the U.S. Capitol. All of the 16 plans submitted were rejected. A late entry by William Thornton, amateur architect from the British West Indies, was accepted in fall 1792. President Washington liked it because of its "grandeur, simplicity and convenience."

The iron dome, also white, is surmounted by a statue of a woman representing Freedom, by the American sculptor Thomas Crawford. The height of the Capitol from the baseline on the east front to the top of the statue is 287.5 ft (87.6 m).

Independence Day/ Declaration of Independence-

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. It represents the official first step toward the separation of the 13 colonies from the control of Great Britain. The document was written by Thomas Jefferson in seventeen days, during the Second Continental Congress.

Although the Declaration of Independence was not officially signed until August 1, 1776, Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This is why we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day.

Constitution-

The Constitution of the United States is the cornerstone of our American government. In 4,543 words this document describes the structure or plan of the government and the rights of the American people. The Constitution is known as a "living document" because it can be amended. Since its ratification, it has only been changed (amended) 27 times. The Constitution is a strong document, more powerful than any branch of government or any state. At the same time, it is flexible enough to allow for freedom and changes in America.

The Constitution is organized into three parts:

  • Preamble: Describes the purpose of the document and government.
  • Articles: Establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are seven articles.
  • Amendments: Changes to the Constitution; the first ten are called the Bill of Rights.

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