How well do you know America's symbols?
Flags, birds, bells and mottos all tell a story about the United States. Six questions about US national symbols, from easy to hard, with explanations.
Did you know?
- The US flag on the Moon is not waving in a breeze. Engineers sewed a horizontal rod into the top of the flags left by the Apollo astronauts so they would stay extended in the airless environment.
- The American bison became the national mammal in 2016. Once reduced to only a few hundred animals in the wild, bison now number in the hundreds of thousands, thanks to conservation work.
- The Liberty Bell weighs about 2,080 pounds (943 kg). Its famous crack is actually the result of several repairs and later damage, and nobody knows exactly when the first crack appeared.
What the symbols mean
National symbols are shortcuts that help people recognize and talk about a country. For the United States, the most familiar are the flag, the bald eagle, the Great Seal and landmarks such as the Liberty Bell. Many of these symbols were chosen in the country's early years and have changed only slightly since, while others were adopted much more recently.
The flag
The US flag has 13 stripes and one star for each state. Its design has changed 27 times as new states joined, and a new star is officially added on the Fourth of July after a state's admission. The colors have no official meaning in law, but the Great Seal's designers described them as standing for purity, valor and justice.
The Great Seal
The Great Seal of the United States, adopted in 1782, shows an eagle holding an olive branch in one set of talons and arrows in the other. It is used on official documents, and both of its sides appear on the back of the one-dollar bill.
The bald eagle
The bald eagle was once in serious danger, largely because of the pesticide DDT, which made its eggshells too thin. After DDT was banned and the bird was protected, eagle numbers recovered so well that it was removed from the endangered species list in 2007.
The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell was cast in the 1750s for the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall. It cracked early in its life and was repaired, but a later crack made it impossible to ring. Its inscription comes from the Bible and speaks of proclaiming liberty throughout the land.
Newer symbols
Some national symbols are surprisingly recent. The rose became the national flower in 1986, the oak became the national tree in 2004, and the American bison was named the national mammal in 2016.
Flag etiquette
The US Flag Code gives guidelines for displaying the flag, such as not letting it touch the ground and lighting it if it is flown at night. These rules are advice rather than laws with penalties, but many people and organizations follow them carefully.