American symbols
Countries use symbols to express their ideals. What is more American than these symbols?
Betsy Ross is credited with sewing the first US flag. At the time the flag's colors did not have a specific meaning but the colors were significant for the Great Seal of 1782. White signifies purity and innocence, red for valor and bravery and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The stars are considered a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial and the stripes are symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun. More about the flag.
The Statue of Liberty encyclopedia
Barry Moreno.
New York : Simon & Schuster, c2000.
She needs no introduction. For decades, she's been the world's leading icon of democracy. Four million people visit her each year. She is the very symbol of America. But how well do we really know the Statue of Liberty? Did you know, for instance, that her origin dates back to Roman antiquity? Or that New York narrowly beat out Philadelphia for the right to house her? Or that her nose is three feet, eight inches long? In time to celebrate Lady Liberty at the millennium, this gorgeous encyclopedia is sure to satisfy the countless requests historian Barry Moreno has received to deliver the first full-scale reference ever written on the Statue of Liberty. As its name implies, The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia promises to answer every possible question about our famous monument. Featuring an abundance of little-known but fascinating aspects and curiosities about the statue's history, the book also presents a vast collection of illustrations -- many never before published -- ranging from the amusing to the poignant to the pa-triotic. Stops on this visual tour include Betty Grable making a visit to the statue, antique autogyros flying overhead, and a gravity-defying glimpse of Liberty's spiraling inner armature. The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia is not just the history of one monument but the story of our nation and its far-reaching cultural and ideological roots. Elegant and eloquent, the book will stand as an emotional, educational, and entertaining testament to the statue's enduring significance.
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More US Symbols
Anthem: The Star Spangled Banner
March: The Stars and Stripes Forever
Motto: In God We Trust
Tree: Oak
Mammal: Bison |
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi discovered the perfect site in the New York Harbor saying, "...where all the ships of the universe arrive, she will rise from the bossom of the waves..." The Statue of Liberty stands tall in the harbor with a radiant crown whose seven points represent the seven continents and seven seas. She is holding the beacon of Enlightenment and a tablet inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4th, 1776).
Eagles of North America
Candace Savage.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada ; New York : Greystone Books, 2000, c1987.
90 stunning, action-packed color photographs from the world's top nature photographers portray the grace and power of eagles -- awe-inspiring birds with vision five times superior to ours, breakneck speed, split-second timing, and striking agility. The pictures include heartwarming closeups of a newborn eaglet's first tentative steps, gripping images of carnivorous adults ravaging their kill, and stunning aerial views of the raptors soaring through the air. An absorbing account of the everyday behavior of these birds of prey.
The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent. This majestic bird represents power and freedom.
The Rose, queen of flowers, is suited to all kinds of landscaping needs used in parks and home gardens. Roses have been grown on the Whitehouse grounds since John Adams planted some in what is now know as the Rose Garden. On November 20, 1986, President Reagan signed Proclamation 5574: The National Floral Emblem of the United States of America: The Rose. More about roses.
National treasure : Book of secrets
Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films present a Junction Entertainment production in association with Saturn Films ; produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Jon Turteltaub ; story by Gregory Poirier and the Wibberleys & Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio ; screenplay by the Wibberleys ; directed by Jon Turteltaub.
Burbank, Calif. : Buena Vista Home Entertainment, [2008]
- DVD, widescreen.
- In English with optional French or Spanish dubbing and optional French or Spanish subtitles; closed-captioned in English.
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Bruce Greenwood, Helen Mirren, Michael Maize, Timothy Murphy, Armando Riesco, Albert Hall, Ty Burrell.
- Videodisc release of the c2007 motion picture.
- MPAA rating: PG; some violence and action.
- When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben Gates' great-great grandfather is implicated as a conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The effort to find the rest of the missing pages to clear his ancestor's name takes Ben, Abigail, and Riley on a globe-trotting adventure.
Mount Rushmore sits high on a granite cliff in South Dakota's Black Hills tower the huge carved faces of four American presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Each was chosen to commemorate his unique contribution to building and shaping the country. Together they constitute the world's largest piece of sculpture.
Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff.
