American symbols

The American Flag

The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen
equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle (blue
symbolizes perseverance and justice.) in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing
fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and
bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the
United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared
independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the Union. icknames
for the flag include the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."
At first there was a circle of twelve stars on the American flag, with one star in the middle. The
number was increased to fifteen and then back to thirteen. Finally, legislation said "That on the
admission of every new state into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag ... Tradition
says that a woman named Betsy Ross made the first American Flag.
The Bald Eagle
The national bird of the United States is the Bald Eagle. The eagle is the
symbol for freedom. At one of the early battles of the Revolutionary War, the noise awoke the eagles
and they flew out of their nest and circled over the fighting men. The whole time, the eagles were
screeching. It was said by a patriot that the eagles were "Shrieking for freedom". The eagle became
the Nation's emblem on June 20, 1782,which was when the great seal of the United States was
adopted.
The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is located in the New York Harbor and was a gift
from the French as a symbol of friendship. The statue was also suppose to be a present for America's
100th birthday.The people of the United States and France had come to know each other when
France sent help for the American Revolution. It was brought to the United States on a boat called
the "Isere", in 350 pieces. It was reassembled and dedicated on October 28, 1886 and became a
National Monument on October 15, 1924. Frederic Bartholdi was the architect who built this
monument. This monument weighs at least 225 pounds and from the foundation of pedestal to torch
it is 305 feet and 1 inch. In the statue's right hand is a burning torch and in her left hand is a tablet
that says, July 4, 1776.
Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a huge carving on a granite cliff called
Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It shows the faces of four American
Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
The White House It is where every president but one has lived during his time of presidency. The
White House is the President's private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state
that is open to the public free of charge.The White House has 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 levels
for all the people who live there, work there and visit the house. While the Congress debated on
what to build and where to build it, George Washington decided to build this house. The land was
given by Maryland and Virginia. They started building it in 1792, and it was finished in 1800. The
address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.
Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense, is one of the world's largest office buildings.
It is located in Arlington, Virginia. The National Capitol could fit into any one of the five wedgeshaped sections. There are very few people throughout the United States who do not have some
knowledge of the Pentagon. Many have followed news stories emanating from the defense
establishment housed in this building. However, relatively few people have had the opportunity to
visit. The Pentagon's construction began on September 11, 1941, and ended on January 15, 1943.
The total cost of the building was $83,000,000, and it covers 583 acres. It also has approximately
23,000 employees, both military and civilian. The Pentagon is so large, it has 100,000

The Liberty Bell

The Bell was ordered by the Pennsylvania Assembly to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the
1701 Charter of Privileges by William Penn. On September 1, 1752, the bell arrived in Philadelphia,
but was not hung until March 10, 1753. Isaac Norris wrote, "I had the mortification to hear that it
was cracked by a stroke of the clapper without any other violence as it was hung up to try the
sound." The cause of the break is said to have happened because of it being too brittle and flaws in
its casting. John Pass and John Stow were two Philadelphia foundry workers, who were given the
cracked bell to be melted down and recast. In order for the bell to be less brittle, they added an
ounce and a half of copper to a pound of the old bell.
On March 29, 1753, the bell was raised and many people were dissatisfied because of its coloring.
Twin Towers
On September 11, 2001 a group of hijackers from the Middle East hijacked four
American Airlines planes. Two of the hijacked planes crashed into the New York Trade Center.
American Airlines flight 11 was bound for Los Angeles. There were 92 people aboard. Flight 11 was
hijacked and at about 8:45 the plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
The Pledge of Allegiance
Beneath this is the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance from Red
Skelton. This explanation of the pledge tells about each and every word that is in the pledge. He
died at 84 on September 1997. In it he explains the real meaning about the words of the pledge and
also what he felt.
I
me, an individual, a committee of one.
Pledge
dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.
Allegiance
my love and my devotion.
To the flag
our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever
she waves
Washington Monument The Continental Congress of 1783 first thought to make a monument to
George Washington. They debated till 1833 when they finally decided to build the Washington
Monument. By 1847 they had collected $87,000 dollars. They picked a design by Robert Mills.It
was to be 600 feet tall and was to rise from a circular colonnaded building, which would be 100 feet
tall and 200 feet in diameter. The original design was greatly altered from Mills elaborate plan. It is
now a hollow shaft without decorations or embellishments. The way they came up with this design
is from the pyramids of Egypt. The Washington Monument is located in Washington D.C. The total
cost of the monument was $1,187,710. The height of the monument as it stands is 555 ft. and 5 5/8
in. It is at the center of a cross formed by four of the most famous buildings in American
History.Those four buldings are The U.S. Capitol, The Lincoln Memorial, The Jefferson Memorial,
and the White House.
Lincoln Memorial
On February 9, 1911, Congress created the Lincoln Memorial Commission and assigned them the
task of picking a location for the Lincoln Memorial. They decided to build it at the West Potomac
Park at the west end of the National Mall.They started construction on the Memorial on February 3,
1914. The Lincoln statue was installed into the building in 1920. Work started on the reflecting pool
that joins the Lincoln and Washington Monument on May 30,1922, Memorial Day. This building,
along with four others, makes a cross. Those other four buildings are the Washington Monument, the
White House, the Jefferson Memorial, and the U.S. Capitol. The building measures 204 feet long,
134 feet wide, and 99 feet tall, with 44-foot columns. The finished statue is 19 feet tall, carved of 28
blocks of white Georgia marble. Directly behind the Lincoln statue you can read the words of Royal
Cortissor carved into the wall: "IN THIS TEMPLE AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS
ENSHRINED FOREVER."

The "Star-Spangled Banner" is one of the most popular famous patriotic songs. In fact, it is the
national anthem of the USA. It was written during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in
1814, but it became the national anthem in 1931 when it was designated by an Act of Congress. The
inspiration for this song was the sight of the original American Flag during this time of battle. The
anthem was written by Francis Scott Key.