LibGuides: What Symbol Best Represents the United States?: Q1. What symbols represent the United States?

Now that have written down your thoughts, click on each of the tabs below to read information about the symbols you are researching.
After you read each article write one sentence explaining what you have learned about the meaning of each symbol.

The American Flag

What Is It? Each country has its own flag. The United States' flag is red, white, and blue. It has 13 red and white stripes. It also has 50 white stars in a blue rectangle.

Nobody knows who made the first American flag. Many experts think Francis Hopkinson designed the first flag. Some people think Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.

The U.S. flag is a symbol of American freedom. The stripes stand for the 13 American colonies. The stars stand for the 50 U.S. states.

History The first flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars. The flag had 15 stripes and stars in 1794. In 1818 Congress passed a law. It said the flag should have 13 stripes and a star for each U.S. state.

Where to See It The U.S. flag flies outside post offices, government buildings, and schools. People fly flags for holidays like Independence Day and Memorial Day. There is even a U.S. flag on the moon.

Glossary

colonies - An area that is settled by people from another country and is controlled by that
country.

Congress - The part of the U.S. government that makes laws; Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

freedom - The right to live the way you want.

government - The group of people who make laws, rules, and decisions for a city, country, or state.

The Bald Eagle

What Is It? The bald eagle is a national symbol of the United States. Eagles are large birds. Bald eagles live only in North America. Bald eagles are not really bald. Their heads are covered with white feathers.

In the late 1700s, American colonists fought for independence from Great Britain. The bald eagle is a symbol of the Colonists' courage to fight. It stands for American freedom, strength, and courage.

Who Chose It? In 1782 Charles Thomson drew a picture of a bald eagle. The eagle held an olive branch and 13 arrows. Congress liked the design and put it on the Great Seal. The bald eagle became a national symbol.

History Bald eagles nearly died out in the mid-1900s. DDT caused eagle eggshells to become thin. Many eaglets died before they hatched. DDT was banned in 1972. Today there are more than 70,000 bald eagles.

Where to See It The U.S. Postal Service uses the bald eagle in its logo. The Great Seal is printed on the back of the U.S. $1 bill. Watch closely and you may see bald eagles fly overhead on your next camping trip.

Glossary

ban - To forbid something.

colonist - A person who settles in a place that is controlled by another country .

Congress - The part of the U.S. government that makes laws; Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives .

DDT - A poisonous chemical once used by U.S. farmers to control insects and other pests .

eaglet - A young eagle Great Seal - the official seal of the U.S. government .

independence - Freedom from the control of other people or things .

logo - A symbol for a company courage - bravery in times of danger freedom - the right to live the way you want .

Independence Hall

What Is It? Independence Hall is the building where both the United States Declaration of Independence the United States Constitution were debated and adopted.

Independence Hall symbolizes freedom and the new nation being started by the Colonists.

History The building was completed in 1753 as the colonial legislature. It became the main meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783, and was the site of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787.

Did You Know? The lowest part of the Independence Hall's wooden steeple was the first home of the Liberty Bell. Now the Liberty Bell is on display across the street from Independence Hall in the Liberty Bell Center.

Where Is It? Independence Hall is now the centerpiece of the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Glossary

Adopted - accepted by voting for something

Centerpiece - in a central location

Colonial - relating to the settlement of land by new people for another country

Colonial legislature - a group of people in the colonial government who had the power to make or change laws

Constitution- a written set of laws that a country follows

Constitutional Convention - meetings to plan and write the new constitution

Debated - discussed with two people, or groups, who disagreed about a subject

Declaration of Independence - the document that said America’s colonies were free and independent from England’s rule

freedom - the right to live the way you want.

Second Continental Congress - a meeting of the representatives of the original thirteen colonies that helped to govern the colonies during the American Revolutionary War

Steeple - a church tower or spire

Excerpted from Kid’s Encyclopedia Facts online

The Liberty Bell

What Is It? The Liberty Bell is a large bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is made mostly of copper. The bell is 3 feet (0.9 meter) high and weighs 2,080 pounds (943 kilograms). The bell has a large crack on its front side.

The Liberty Bell is a symbol of American freedom. People rang it to announce America's independence from Great Britain in 1776. The bell is also a symbol of the fight to end slavery in the United States.

Who Made It? The first Liberty Bell was made in England in 1752. It was made for the State House in Philadelphia. It cracked the first time people tried to ring it. John Pass and John Stow remade the bell in 1753.

History The Liberty Bell got its name from a poem against slavery in 1839. The bell cracked again in 1835. The crack was fixed. But in 1846 the bell cracked worse than before. It never rang again.

Where to See It: Today the Liberty Bell can be seen near Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Each Independence Day, the bell is gently tapped with a rubber hammer to honor America's freedom .

Glossary

announce- to tell people something in public

copper - a reddish brown metal

freedom - the right to live the way you want

honor - to give praise or show respect

independence - freedom from the control of other people or things

liberty - being able to choose your own way of life

slavery - the owning of other people

Mount Rushmore

What Is It? Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a huge carving that shows the faces of four American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The head of Washington is as high as a five-story building.

What Does It Mean? Mount Rushmore represents America. It is a symbol of freedom and hope for people of all cultures and backgrounds. George Washington was chosen for this monument because he was the father of our new country and its first president.

Thomas Jefferson is on Mount Rushmore because he was the main author of the Declaration of Independence and helped the country to grow.

Abraham Lincoln was added because he believed that all people are equal, and he helped end slavery in the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt was chosen because of his desire to make life better for the American people, and make the United States a world leader.

Where To See It? The faces are carved into a rocky cliff called Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The cliff is made of granite.

Who Made It? The American sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed the Mount Rushmore Memorial. Workers used drills and dynamite to cut the figures into the cliff. Work on the memorial began in 1927 and continued, off and on, for more than 14 years. Borglum died in 1941, before it was finished. His son Lincoln finished the work.

Excerpted from: Mount Rushmore National Memorial. (2019). In World Book Kids. Retrieved from

https://www.worldbookonline.com/kids/home#article/ar831595

Mount Rushmore National Memorial https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm

Glossary

culture - the traditions and beliefs a group of people practice in their daily lives.

granite - is a kind of igneous rock. It is formed from hot, molten magma. The magma cools and turns slowly into solid stone. Granite has many different types of minerals in it.

monument - a building, stone, or statue made to keep alive the memory of a person or event.

sculptor - a person who makes statues using wood, stone, clay, or melted metal.

The National Anthem

What Is It? People around the world sing songs that praise their countries. Many of these songs are national anthems. "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America.

One night during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key watched as the British attacked a U.S. fort. In the morning, the U.S. flag was still standing. Key felt great pride in America. He wrote a poem about the battle.

Key wrote the poem to honor the courage of U.S. soldiers in battle. Today "The Star-Spangled Banner" is a symbol of courage and freedom. Americans show respect for their country when they sing the national anthem.

History: Key's poem was set to the tune of a popular song. It later became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner." It became the official U.S. national anthem in 1931.

When to Sing It: "The Star-Spangled Banner" is played at important events. It is played when a U.S. president takes office. People sing it before many sports events. It is played when an American wins a medal in the Olympic Games.

Glossary

courage - bravery in times of danger

fort - a building that is well defended against attacks

freedom - the right to live the way you want honor - to give praise or show respect

national anthem - a national song

Olympic Games - a competition of many sports events held every four years in a different country; people from around the world compete against each other

praise - words telling someone they did a good job

pride - self respect

president - the highest elected job in a country

respect - to show that you value someone or something

War of 1812 - a war between the United States and Great Britain; it lasted from 1812 to 1815

Pledge of Allegiance

What Is It? The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise. People say the pledge to show loyalty and respect to their country. The words show a person's pride in being a citizen of the United States.

The Pledge of Allegiance is a symbol of our one nation, our freedom, and our goal of being fair to all our citizens.

Who Wrote It? Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892. He wanted students to say the pledge on Columbus Day. He mailed copies of the pledge to schools around the country.

History -Students and teachers liked the pledge. Children started saying it every day. It became a tradition in schools around the country. In 1954 Congress added the words "under God" after the word "nation."

What Does It Say? I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

How to Say It - People can say the Pledge of Allegiance anytime. People stand and face the U.S. flag while saying the pledge. They also hold their right hands over their hearts as they say the words.

Glossary

citizen - a member of a country or state who has the right to live there

Congress - the part of the U.S. government that makes laws; Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives

indivisible - unable to be broken

justice -fair treatment or behavior

liberty - being able to choose your own way of life

loyalty - being true to something or someone

pledge - to make a promise

pride - self respect

promise - your word that you will do something

republic - a kind of government where the people elect a small group of people to make decisions for the whole

respect - to show that you value someone or something

tradition - a custom, idea, or belief passed down through time

The Statue of Liberty

What Is It?

The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of American freedom. The statue is of a woman holding a tablet and a torch. The statue has a steel frame and surface made from copper. It stands more than 300 feet (91 meters) tall

The statue has many parts. Broken chains by her feet show that she is free. The torch means she is bringing the light of freedom to the world. The tablet stands for the laws of the United States. Who Built It? The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue. Workers began building the statue in 1875. It was ready to send to the United States in 1884.

History

The statue was built on Liberty Island in New York in 1886. For many years, the statue welcomed immigrants to America. But over many years, pollution damaged the statue. It was cleaned and fixed in the 1980s.

Where to See It: Millions of people visit the Statue of Liberty each year. A museum on the island shows the statue's history. Visitors can also go inside the statue. They can climb up 354 steps to look out of the crown on her head.

Glossary

copper - a reddish brown metal

freedom - the right to live the way you want pollution - materials that harm the environment

immigrant - a person who leaves one country and settles in another

museum - a place where objects of art, history, or science are shown tablet - a pad of writing paper

torch - a flaming light design - to make a plan for how to make something

The White House
What Is It? The White House is a symbol of American democracy. Every four years, the United States elects a president. The president and his or her family live and work at the White House.

Who Built It? A contest was held in 1792 to design the White House. James Hoban's design was chosen. Workers began building the White House in 1792. It was not finished until 1800.

How Big Is It? The White House has 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 3 elevators. The State Dining Room seats more than 130 people. Presidents work in the Oval Office. They sign papers and meet important visitors there.

History British soldiers set fire to the White House during the War of 1812. It took 3 years to fix it. In 1948 many walls and floors were replaced in the White House. The White House was made as good as new.

Where To See It The White House is on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. More than 1 million people visit the White House each year. Visitors can tour the house and learn more about this symbol of U.S. democracy.

Glossary:
democracy - A kind of government in which the people make decisions by voting .
design - To make a plan for how to make something .
elects– To choose someone as a leader by voting.
president - The highest elected job in a country.
tour - a brief trip through a place to view it
War of 1812 - a war between the United States and Great Britain; it lasted from 1812 to 1815