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The resources in this primary source set are intended for classroom use. If your use will be beyond a single classroom, please review the copyright and fair use guidelines.
Teacher’s Guide
To help your students analyze these primary sources, get a graphic organizer and guides: Analysis Tool and Guides
Every nation has symbols—specific objects that representbeliefs, values, traditions, or other intangible ideas that makethat country unique. While these symbols may change overtime, they can help to bind a nation together by reminding itspeople of their nation’s history and most important principles.Six U.S. symbols are depicted in this primary source set:the Liberty Bell, the U.S. flag, the bald eagle, the nationalanthem, Uncle Sam, and the Statue of Liberty.
Background
The Liberty Bell was commissioned by thePennsylvania colony in 1752. The colony’s leaderswanted a bell for its state house (now known asIndependence Hall) that could be heard aroundthe city. One side of the bell has a biblical quote:“Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto allthe inhabitants thereof.” The most notable feature ofthe bell, though, is a crack in the metal that runs upfrom the bell’s lip. Although there is no proof, manypeople believe that the Liberty Bell was rung to markthe reading of the Declaration of Independence onJuly 8, 1776. In the 1830s, abolitionists adoptedthe bell as a symbol of their struggle to abolishslavery; they popularized the name the Liberty Bell.
Between 1885 and 1915, the bell traveled aroundthe country for exhibitions and patriotic events. Thebell currently resides in the Liberty Bell Center onPhiladelphia’s Independence Mall. The bell’s crack isthe source of many stories that have reached nearlymythic proportion; the crack’s appearance mayhave added to the bell’s symbolic power.
The flag of the United States is commonly knownas the “Stars and Stripes” or “Old Glory.” On June14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted aresolution stating: “Resolved, That the flag of theUnited States be thirteen stripes, alternate red andwhite; that the union be thirteen stars, white in ablue field, representing a new Constellation.” It isunknown whether Betsy Ross sewed the first flagcreated under this resolution; many historians viewthis story as a myth. The current 50-star flag is the27th “edition” of the flag and the one that has beenin use the longest, since 1960. In 1818, Congresspassed a law stating that a new star be addedfor each new state; the 13 stripes would remainconstant to represent the 13 colonies. (At the timethis law was passed, the flag had 15 stripes; two stripes had been added to represent the first twostates added to the union—Vermont and Kentucky.)The bald eagle has long been the national bird ofthe United States. In 1782, the Continental Congressadopted the Great Seal of the United States, which depicts a baldeagle holding 13 olive branches in one talon and13 arrows in the other. The olive branch standsfor the power to make peace, while the arrowsstand for the power to make war.
The national anthem, “The Star-SpangledBanner,” has a colorful history. Francis Scott Keywrote the lyrics to the anthem as a poem in 1814,after he witnessed the British Navy bombardingships during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the Warof 1812. The melody was “borrowed” from the tuneof a popular British song. The song became theofficial national anthem in 1931, replacing severalother songs commonly sung at public events. Theanthem is somewhat controversial because of itswar-related imagery and the challenge that themusic poses to singers.
Uncle Sam, whose image appeared during the Warof 1812, is a symbol of the U.S. government. Heis portrayed as an older, bearded man dressed inclothes that evoke the U.S. flag. Uncle Samis commonly used in political cartoons, as wellas in advertising. Perhaps the best-known imageof Uncle Sam was as a recruiting tool for the U.S. Army during World War I.A poster by artist James Montgomery Flagg, showsa stern Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer over thecaption: “I Want YOU for the U.S. Army.”
The Statue of Liberty (its formal title is LibertyEnlightening the World) was a gift to the UnitedStates from the people of France. Dedicated in 1886,the statue shows Libertas, the Roman goddess offreedom. Located in New York Harbor, the statueholds a torch in one hand and a tablet representingthe law in the other. The date of the Declaration ofIndependence is inscribed on the tablet. A brokenchain sits at Libertas’s feet. The statue is an iconic symbol of freedom.Protestors around the world have used the image ofthe statue in their struggles for political freedom; areplica was erected in 1989 in Beijing’s TiananmenSquare.
Suggestions for Teachers
Before having students work with the documents in this primary source set, you may find it useful to printmultiple copies of each document, mount them on poster board, and affix a brief caption to each document.Create a display of symbols—an object that represents something else—in your classroom. Some symbols maybe actual objects, such as the U.S. flag (if one is displayed in your room) or a stuffed animal representing alocal sports team. Other symbols may be pictures, including images from the primary source set, a photo ofyour school mascot, etc. Write the word symbol on the board and tell students that all of the items you havedisplayed are symbols. Talk through how your school mascot represents your school; for example, you might say“Snortner the Dragon represents Emerald School. It represents our history because it is named after the firstprincipal of the school. It represents our students because dragons are fierce and fun, just like our students.”
Students can add to the display by bringing in symbols that represent things about their own lives.Tell students that they are going to be looking at symbols of the United States.Organize the class into small groups and give each group a picture of one symbolfrom the primary source set. You may want to begin by choosing the image of eachsymbol that is the most straightforward. Ask students to identify the symbol that isshown and to explain how it represents the United States. Have groups share theirideas. Give each group a second picture of their symbol and ask them what they canlearn from the second image. Their statements can be relatively simple. For example,they might say, “The arrows in the eagle’s claw make me think of fighting. Maybe thismeans that the United States is powerful.”
Invite students to look closely at the three documents related to the flag. How do theseimages show that symbols can change over time? For example, there are differentnumbers of stars on each image. Why might some symbols change and others stay the same? Note that whilethe United States may change over the years, some of its people’s ideas about the nation remain the same.Challenge students to think of other examples of symbols that have changed over time.
Show students the “All American Medley” quilt. Ask students to identify the symbols of the United Statesthat appear on the quilt (the Liberty Bell, the bald eagle, the flag, fireworks, popular American foods, figuresrepresenting the diversity of the American people, and so on). You may need to help students identify symbolsnot already covered in discussion of the primary source set. Ask students why they think this quilt was made.Explain that the quilt might have been designed to show the quilt maker’s pride in America. Ask students howthey feel about living in the United States. Challenge students to create their own design for a quilt that usesAmerican symbols to show how they feel.
Play the sound recording of the national anthem. Ask students where they might have heard this song before.Do any of the students know the words to the song? Give students a chance to sing the song. Then, use “TheStar-Spangled Banner” public school song sheet and the sound recording to teach the class the national anthem.
Additional Resources
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Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
- Posters: WPA Posters
