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The Great Seal of the United States
The bald eagle appears on our money, the president’s flag, and countless government buildings. But it didn’t officially become the national bird of the United States until a few months ago.
With its powerful wings, the bald eagle represents strength and independence. It has been a symbol of the U.S. since 1782. Six years earlier, the country’s founders had started talking about creating an official seal for the new nation. They couldn’t agree on a design. Benjamin Franklin later wrote that he wasn’t a fan of the bald eagle. But the mighty bird was finally chosen to appear on the Great Seal of the United States. Today the seal appears on government documents and the back of the $1 bill.
Bald eagles are found only in North America. By the mid-1900s, they were endangered in much of the U.S. Hunting and chemicals used to kill insects had caused the eagles to nearly disappear. But thanks to conservation efforts, the bald eagle population has soared in the past few decades.