What is the Great Seal of the United States?
The Bald Eagle. In 1782, William Barton suggested a bald eagle as a national emblem. He drew a bald eagle and showed it to Congress, the lawmaking body of the U.S. government. Congress voted to make the bald eagle the subject of the new Great Seal of the United States. The bald eagle is strong, fast, and has a big wing span. Did you know the wing span of a bald eagle is 6 to 7 feet, and it can fly between 20 and 60 miles per hour? Top of Page 4. What does the Great Seal have in its feet? An olive branch and thirteen arrows. In its right foot, the bald eagle holds an olive branch which symbolizes peace. In its left foot, the bald eagle holds thirteen arrows which symbolize the thirteen colonies’ willingness to fight for their freedom. The Great Seal also has thirteen stars above its head representing the thirteen original colonies, a shield with thirteen stripes on its chest, and a ribbon in its beak with the Latin words E Pluribus Unum. This means “From the Many, One,” and it refers to
