The flag of the United States is commonly known as the “Stars and Stripes” or “Old Glory.” It was adopted on June 14, 1777. The 50 stars on the blue field stand for 50 states and the 13 red and white stripes represent the 13 colonies the USA emerged from. There is a legend that the first American flag was made by Betsy Ross, a seamstress (швея) from Philadelphia, and it was she who changed the stars on the flag from 6-pointed to easier-to-produce 5-pointed stars. The current 50-star flag is the 27th “edition” of the flag and the one that has been in use the longest, since 1960.
The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. The Great Seal was first used publicly in 1782.The obverseof the great seal is used as the national coat of armsof the United States. It is officially used on documents such as United States passports, military insignia, embassyplacards, and various flags. The Seal depicts a bald eagle holding 13 olive branches in one talon and 13 arrows in the other. The olive branch stands for the power to make peace, while the arrows stand for the power to make war.
Other official national symbols are:
National anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner
National mottos: In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum (лат. «измногих – единое»)
National bird: Bald Eagle
National floral emblem: Rose
National tree: oak
Unofficial Symbols of the USA
Uncle Sam (initials U.S.) is a common national personification of the American government. The first use of Uncle Sam in literature was in the 1816 allegorical book The Adventures of Uncle Sam in Search After His Lost Honor by Frederick Augustus Fidfaddy, Esq. An Uncle Sam is mentioned as early as 1775, in the original Yankee Doodle lyrics of the Revolutionary War. It is not clear whether this reference is to Uncle Sam as a metaphor for the United States, or to an actual person named Sam.
Other unofficial national symbols are:
Sights: the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Mount Rushmore
Sports: baseball, football
Food: apple pie, hot-dog, bourbon whiskey
Check yourself. Answer the questions:
1. What city was the 1st capital of the USA?
2. What is District of Columbia?
3. What is the largest US state? The smallest one?
4. What language has the status of the official one at federal level?
5. What is the nickname of the American Flag?
6. What do the 13 stripes on the US flag stand for?
7. What is American national bird, national tree, and national flower?
