Information About Eagles
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The Eagle on the Great Seal
8W
9/26/06
Student 42
Do you know why the eagle was chosen for the Great Seal of the United States? Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress in 1782, made the final decision based on the work of three committees. For one side of the seal, he chose the American eagle to be the focus, the center of the seal. He wanted it flying and rising, like our new United States. The eagle flew alone, like our new sovereign nation, no longer part of Great Britain, and developing on its own virtures. All the other symbols of our United States exist on or around the eagle. In its beak, the eagle holds a banner claiming, "E Pluribus Unum," meaning "Out of many, one." Out of thirteen colonies, we formed one nation. Another important symbol includes the olive branch, which represents peace. The eagle, facing its right side, clasps the olive branches in its stronger right talon, thus focusing on keeping and upholding peace. Holding arrows in its left talon, the eagle, the United States, is prepared for war, but not promoting it. The olive branches and arrows symbolize the power of peace and war, which is in the purview of Congress. At one time the President's Seal, which is different from the Great Seal, contained the eagle facing the left side, the arrows. However, Executive Order No. 9646, signed by President Harry Truman on October 25, 1945, directs that the eagle on the President's Seal must face the olive branch in its right talon. When the President or other elected officials from our federal govenment speak officially, look for the Great Seal on the podium or in the background. Remember that the eagle stands for our virtuous sovereignty and prepared peace.
Vocabulary:
| Word | Definition | Description |
| purview | in the influence of; what influences something | Congress in charge of making peace and war |
| virtue, virtuous | moral goodness or excellence even in time of evil or temptation | America is virtuous, morally excellent, and choosing a high standard of goodness and rightness. |
ST42's Source Table:
| Source Name | Page # or URL | Quote or Topic |
| American Eagle Foundation | http://www.eagles.org/greatseal.html | The US Great Seal |
| Great Seal Symbol Explanations | http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/index.html | Explain the symbols |
| Great Seal Symbols | http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/eagle.html | Great Seal Symbols |
| Great Seal Index page | http://www.greatseal.com/index.html | Start page to learn more |
| Presidents Seal | http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/presidentseal.html | Facts on The President's Seal |
| Assigment: Create your own seal | http://www.greatseal.com/students/classvision.html | Form a team and follow these directions for extra credit. |
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