Symbols of the USA

American Flag
The United States Flag has had many names and many designs since it was first made in 1775. The most popular name is the Stars and Stripes. The flag stands for the land, the people, the government and the ideals of the United States.
The first flag represented the 13 original colonies but had the British flag in the upper left hand corner. After the Declaration of Independence was written the British flag was
replaced with 13 stripes and 13 stars representing
the 13 colonies. As more states were added to the
union more stars were included. The 13 original
stripes remain on today's flag, but there are now
50 stars for the 50 states.

Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by France in 1884. It was a symbol of friendship and liberty that both countries shared. France and the United States both shared its expense.
A French sculptor, Fredric Auguste Bartholdi,
designed it and chose its location. The Statue
of Liberty is a symbol that expresses freedom
to people all over the world. Her crown bears
seven spikes representing the light of liberty
on the seven seas and seven continents. In
her left arm she holds the Declaration of Independence. A broken
chain at her feet represents the brokenness
of a dictatorship.

Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is a treasured remembrance when America was fighting for its Independence.
It was rung on July 4, 1776, for the 1st
public reading of the Declaration of
Independence. It weighs over 2,080 pounds.
Today the bell hangs in a shelter, just north
of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. For
nearly 100 years, the Liberty Bell rang on
many special events. The Bell cracked in 1841, so it is not rung anymore.

White House
The White House is the home of the President of the United States. Whoever is President lives and works there until someone else becomes President. It is located in Washington. President and Mrs. John Adams became the first family to live in the White House in 1800. The British burned the mansion down during the War of 1812, but it was rebuilt. Throughout the years, 43 presidents have made some of the most important decisions in history while living in the White House.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a
shrine to honor the third President of
the United States and author of the
Declaration of Independence. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke at a
ceremony at the start of construction in 1938.
On the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth (April 13, 1943) it was dedicated.. The design of the building, which is circular, was introduced to the United States by Jefferson, himself. A Statue of Thomas Jefferson and four of his famous quotes are located inside the shrine.

The Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is a monument in Washington D.C. that recognizes a powerful leader of our country during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln.
It took 4 years to build. The building, designed by Henry Bacon and styled after a Greek Temple, has 36 columns representing the states of the union at the time of Abraham Lincoln's death. Inside are two murals, two tablets with the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address, and a heroic statue of Lincoln.

Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It show the faces of the four American Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. It is a memorial designed by an American sculptor, Gutzon Borglum. It is taller than the Great Pyramid of Egypt and is the world's greatest mountain carving.

Official Flower
The rose was designated the official flower and floral emblem of the United States of America in 1986. The rose has been around for about 35 million years and grows naturally throughout North America. The petals and rose hips are edible and have been used in medicines since ancient times.

Great Seal of the United States
On July 4, 1776, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were given the task of creating a seal for the 13 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.
Symbolically, the seal reflects the beliefs and values that the Founding Fathers attached to the new nation and wished to pass on to their descendants.
The number 13 denoting the 13 original States. The olive branch and the arrows “denote the power of peace and war”. The constellation of stars symbolizes a new nation taking its place among other sovereign states. The motto “E Pluribus Unum” expresses the union of the 13 states.

Eagle
The American bald eagle was adopted as the official emblem of the United States of America in 1782. The bald eagle was chosen because of it's majestic beauty, great strength, long life, and because it's native to North America. In the wild, an eagle will live 30-35 years (up to 50 years in captivity). A full-grown Bald Eagle has a wingspan of up to 7
foot. They fly up to 30 miles an hour and can dive at 100 miles an hour!