American Symbols

Symbol Something that stands for something else.

Liberty Bell The bell weighs 2,000 pounds and is 12 feet wide. The bell has cracked every time it has been rung. The bell is now silent. On July 4, 1776 the colonies met in Philadelphia, PA and approved the Declaration of Independence. They rang the bell so people would gather together to listen to the Declaration be read out loud. There are words on the bell that mean freedom all over the land and to all its people.

Statue of Liberty She stands on Liberty Island In New York. She was a gift from France. It was meant to celebrate the 100 th birthday of the Declaration of Independence. It took 10 years to make. It is made of copper. It takes 335 steps to get all the way to the top! About 20 million immigrants arrived in the 60 years after it was built. It was their first glimpse of America. It stands for the freedom America offers to all people.

Bald Eagle The Founding Father’s argued for 6 years about our emblem. Ben Franklin wanted it to be a wild turkey. Congress thought the eagle was a symbol of high-flying freedom, strength and courage. It is only found in North America. Its wings can get up to 12 feet long and it can fly up to 200 mph. They almost became extinct, but in the last 20 years they have made a comeback!

The Star Spangled Banner By Francis Scott Key 1814 *written during the Revolutionary War *Originally a poem that was later put to music to be used as a song *In 1931 it became our national anthem

American Flag There have been 27 versions of our flag. It represents the United States of America. The sight of the flag on the battlefield gives troops courage and reminds them what they’re fighting for. The flag has traveled to the North Pole and the moon! There are 13 red and white stripes for the 13 original colonies and 50 stars for the 50 states. There are rules on how to care for our flag. We say the pledge to promise to be faithful to the United States

Political Parties The Donkey Used to represent democrats Created when Andrew Jackson was president The Elephant Used to represent republicans Created by political cartoonist Thomas Nast The Democrats think of the elephant as stupid, pompous and conservative -- but the Republicans think it is dignified, strong and intelligent. On the other hand, the Republicans regard the donkey as stubborn, silly and ridiculous -- but the Democrats claim it is humble, homely, smart, courageous and loveable.