|
The Great Seal of US and Uncle Sam
|
Do you know the
significance of the "Great Seal of US"?
All countries have government
seals to authenticate important international documents. The
founders of the US knew that the new country needed both a
seal and a national coat of arms that would be a symbol of
the country. On July 4th 1776, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams
and Thomas Jefferson were appointed by the continental congress
to design a seal for the US. The task wasn't as simple as
it appeared. The seal had to use just a few symbols and words
to depict what the US was at that time and what it would be
in the future. It wasn't until 6 years later that the final
design was approved. William Barton created the design, which
shows an American bald eagle holding a ribbon in its mouth
with the Latin words E Pluribus Unum (= "one nation from
many people"). The eagle holds the arrow of war with
one talon and the olive branch of peace in the other.
 |
The reverse of the seal
displays an unfinished pyramid with an eye above it.
The eye represents the eye of providence. Most representations
of the seal, such as that on the one-dollar bill, show
both the front and reverse of the seal. The seal is
an engraved metal die that impresses its design into
a document. This seal is used to authenticate treaties
and international agreements and appointments of ambassadors
and other Foreign Service officials, as well as other
important government documents.
Great seal of US is the
only government seal in the world with a design on both
sides. The number 13, indicating the 13 original states,
is used throughout the great seal. For e.g., there are
13 stars, 13 stripes in the shield, 13 plumes of feathers
on each span of the eagle's wing, 13 arrows in the eagle's
left talon, 13 olives and leaves in the right talon
and 13 layers in the pyramid. The inscriptions E pluribus
Unum and Annuit Coeptis each consist 13 letters. To
make things more interesting and appealing, I have chosen
this ("Great Seal Of US" with 13 letters)
as the 13th topic in the series and sending it to you
on April 13th!! Never ever consider that 13 is unlucky
number :-)
|
Both sides of the great seal
are shown on the reverse of the one-dollar bill. The pyramid
symbolizes permanence and strength. It has not been finished
because the US will always grow, build and improve. (Is O.B.L
listening????) The 'eye of providence' above the pyramid is
surrounded by light and portrays the spiritual above the material;
also freedom of knowledge. Above the eye is a Latin inscription,
Annuit Coeptis, which means "God has favored our beginnings".
The inscription below the pyramid Novus Ordo Seclorum is Latin
for "new cycle of the ages". If your eyes are really
sharp, you'll also see the Roman numerals for 1776 (MDCCLXXVI).
[Info source for the contents
of this mail: A book I borrowed from Westmont (IL) library,
authored by Bill McLain]
Who is Uncle Sam?
 |
While no one is actually
sure of his origins, Uncle Sam has been with us since
the early 1800s. In all likelihood, he was the hybrid
of two different beginnings.
The name “Uncle Sam”
appears to have been given to a man named Samuel Wilson,
who slaughtered and supplied large amounts of meat to
the newly formed United States Army. His shipping crates
carried the stamp “U.S.” which someone,
jokingly or otherwise, suggested stood for “Uncle Sam”
Wilson, and this nickname came to symbolize the Federal
Government.
|
I (We) Want You!
|
Although first appearing
in 1838 in the Nast illustrations, the most common image
of the elder statesman of America is the World War I
poster drawn by James Montgomery Flagg for Army Recruitment
with the caption “I WANT YOU !” No matter what Uncle
Sam’s roots may be, he has become a symbol, recognized
throughout the world, of American resolve, strength
and determination. There are postal stamps depicting
Uncle Sam and also recent poster of Uncle Sam shows
Uncle Sam "wanting" O.B.L dead or alive.
While Sam Wilson may
have been the source of the name “Uncle Sam,” he was
not the inspiration of the image. For one thing, Wilson
was clean-shaven while the caricatures of Uncle Sam
all show a man with a white beard. The creator of the
image of Uncle Sam, as we know him, was Thomas Nast,
a nineteenth century political cartoonist who started
drawing the star-spangled red-white-and-blue-suited
symbol of American identity.
|
 |
Uncle Sam was not the only
character Nast drew. His other character, dressed similarly,
was “Brother Jonathan” or Yankee Doodle. The difference in
the two characters was pronounced, though: Brother Jonathan
always was depicted clean-shaven and with a feather in his
cap; Uncle Sam always appeared with the beard and often with
top hat.
|
