-
The Bald Eagle
The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of American, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent.
The Eagle became the National emblem in 1782 when the great seal of the United States was adopted. The Great Seal shows a wide-spread eagle, faced front, having on his breast a shield with thirteen perpendicular red and white stripes, surmounted by a blue field with the same numb -
"The Star Spangled Banner" were first written
The words of "The Star Spangled Banner" were first written on September 14, 1814 by Francis Scott Key as a poem titled, "The Defence of Fort McHenry." -
The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship. -
The Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister in Boston who was prominent in the Christian Socialist movement of the time. Bellamy was also an official in the National Education Association, the teachers' union, and he created the Pledge as part of a school flag-raising ceremony to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in America.
Twelve million schoolchildren recited it for the first time one month later on Columbus Day, Oct. 12, 1892. -
The National Anthem "The Star Spangled Banner"
On March 3, 1931, U.S. President Herbert Hoover signed an act that officially made "The Star Spangled Banner" the national anthem for the United States. Before this time, the United States had been without any national anthem. -
The American Flag
Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed for additional stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state.
Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.
