Flag, coat of arms and anthem of the USA. From the eagle to Uncle Sam or the main state symbols of the USA What bird is on the coat of arms of America
Are you planning to obtain American citizenship or permanent residence in the United States? Are you preparing for your citizenship test and want to learn a little more about the country? Or were you simply curious about what Americans themselves associate America with? We have collected the main information you need to know about US state symbols.
State symbols of the USA
No country can do without a flag, anthem and seal. The USA is no exception. Many articles and books have been written about each of these three symbols of American nationhood. We will pay attention to the most basic facts that are important to know.
Symbols of the USA
American flag
In America, flags hang on government buildings, along roads, and on the homes of ordinary citizens. The first thing that catches the eye of tourists is the large number of American flags. But don’t be surprised, they weren’t hung for a holiday, this is their daily location.
The colors of the American flag, like the Russian flag, are the well-known tricolor: white, red and blue. It is decorated with 13 stripes, symbolizing the British colonies, which formed the state, and 50 stars, meaning the 50 states that are currently part of the United States. If you are planning to take the American Citizenship Test, you should definitely know the answer to this question.
The national flag of the United States is Flag of the United States. It can also be called “Stars and stripes”, “Old Glory” and “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
Great Seal of the USA
It is this seal that confirms the authenticity of documents issued by the US government. If you've ever looked at the back of a $1 bill, you've seen exactly what the Great Seal of the United States looks like. On the left side of this banknote is the reverse side of the seal, and on the right is the front side. And yes, the Great Seal of the United States has two sides, although seals usually only have one. The obverse of this seal is often considered the coat of arms of the United States.
Stamp – Stamp, seal
Great Seal of the United States 
US anthem
The lyrics for the US anthem are taken from the poem "The Defense of Fort McHenry" (by Francis Scott Key). It is not surprising that Americans sing about the flag in their anthem. This poem was created after the writer witnessed the shelling of the fortress during the Anglo-American War of 1812-1815. The US anthem is called "The Star-Spangled Banner". The song became an anthem only in 1931, and before that the United States did not have a fixed anthem.
Church hymn - hymn
National anthem
National bird of the USA
The most important symbol of the United States (among the representatives of the animal world) is the eagle, only it bears little resemblance to ours. It is essentially a bald eagle, but in English it is called a “bald eagle”. It is this bird that appears on the coat of arms, banknotes and many official documents. The eagle is also depicted on the Great Seal of the United States. He holds 13 arrows in one paw and a palm branch in the other. This shows that the US “wants peace, but is ready for war.”
In the United States there are even laws according to which it is forbidden to kill an American eagle without the appropriate permission.
National bird
Bald eagle – bald eagle 
American architectural symbols
Of course, certain American buildings and monuments are recognized by people all over the world and have already become unique symbols of the United States: the Statue of Liberty, the White House or the Liberty Bell. Images of these items can be found not only on souvenirs for tourists, but also, for example, on postage stamps.
Each of these symbols has its own story. For example, the Statue of Liberty was donated to the United States by the French, and the Liberty Bell convened city residents to read the Declaration of Independence. This bell can still be seen in the city of Philadelphia. The President of the United States still lives and works in the White House. This is the building that is depicted on the twenty dollar bill.
The Statue of Liberty
The White House
The Liberty Bell
Intangible symbols of the USA
The phrase “In God We Trust” is the official motto of the United States. This phrase is sometimes controversial among Americans. After all, freedom of religion is one of the most important things for every resident of America. This is even enshrined in the US Constitution. You can practice any religion, or you can practice no religion. The phrase is printed on all American paper currency.
Americans have another motto: “E Pluribus Unum” (Out of many, one). This phrase can be seen on the US coat of arms.
In God we Trust - We trust in God
Official motto: National motto
Uncle Sam
Every American is familiar with Uncle Sam. And no, this is not some popular movie actor. This is a humanized image of the USA. Remember how American posters often depict an elderly man in a top hat, blue tailcoat and striped pants? This is Uncle Sam. This image became especially famous thanks to the posters of the First World War.
Now the image of Uncle Sam is a stable American symbol. You can often hear, for example, that something is needed “for Uncle Sam.” This phrase means that it is needed for the USA.
Uncle Sam - Uncle Sam 
Words in English on the topic national symbols
National colors- national colors. Usually the colors that are on the flag are taken. So sometimes national colors are translated as national flag.
National myths- national myths
Coat of arms- coat of arms, coat of arms
Patriotism- patriotism
Motherland/Homeland/Native land- Homeland
Folk costume- folk costume
Folk dance- folk dance
National animal- national animal
National tree- national tree
Of course there are many other American symbols. Some occur very often, others very rarely. American history is still very short, so everything that is at least in some way related to its creation is carefully preserved by Americans and can even be considered a symbol of the country.
Shutikova Anna
As everyone knows, signs of the sovereignty of a state are the flag, anthem and coat of arms. But how many people know that such a state, about whose sovereignty hardly anyone can have doubts, no coat of arms
(at least in the European understanding of this heraldic symbol of an independent country).
I mean USA
.
How so? - everyone who is accustomed to consider the American coat of arms to be a bald eagle with outstretched wings will be indignant:
But the point is that this is not the US emblem , and the front side Great Seal , which is used to authenticate documents issued by the US government. By the way, the keeper of the Great Seal is not the President of the United States, but the Secretary of State, who is responsible for the country’s foreign policy (analogous to the Minister of Foreign Affairs).
One very interesting thing is that the Great Seal of the United States has two sides with completely different images (how often have you seen a double-sided seal?). But both on the front and back there are symbols that seem very strange.
Why exactly bald eagle was chosen as the most important element of US state symbols, in general it is clear.
This feathered predator from the hawk family, which obtains its food not only by hunting, but also by devouring carrion (that is, a vulture, a corpse eater), played a large role in various cults of the Indians of North America long before its colonization by Europeans.
Pairing:
On the carcass of a dead whale:
The bald eagle's habitat is exclusively the North American continent (mainly the territory of what is now the United States and Canada).
So, everything is natural (predator, vulture, aborigine)
.
Much more interesting is not the eagle itself, but those symbols that accompany it on the Great Seal of the United States.
Let's take a look at them.
In the clutches of an eagle - olive branch
(symbolizes peacefulness) and arrows
(readiness for war at any moment). The head of the bird of prey is turned towards the branch, which should mean a desire for peace, which is preferable to war.
Isn't it very familiar: "We are peaceful people, but our armored train is on a siding...".
Real Americans:
Now let's count the number of stars above the eagle's head and stripes on its chest.
Did you count? How much did you get? That's right - 13!
It would seem that this is completely logical: after all, it was 13 states that were the first to unite in the struggle for independence from the British Empire.
But it doesn't stop there.
Take a closer look: the olive branch in the eagle's talons has 13 leaves and 13 olives. In his other paw he holds, how many arrows do you think? Of course, 13!
How many letters are in the inscription on the ribbon that the eagle holds in its beak? Count if in doubt: “E PLURIBUS UNUM” (“Out of many, one”). There are 13 of them too!
Here is the back of the Great Seal of the United States:
The unfinished pyramid has 13 levels of cypress, and around it are 13 tufts of grass. And in the inscription above it “ANNUIT COEPTIS” (“Our beginnings are blessed”) - there are also 13 of them!
Why is this number, considered “bad” in most countries of Christian civilization, almost sacred for America? Why is it constantly repeated in the main symbol of the USA?
Why the number “13” is considered “bad”, there are many different versions.
But they are all connected with Christian mythology.
For example, it is believed that this number symbolizes Judas, who betrayed Christ.
There were 12 apostles, plus Christ himself, so Judas is the 13th. This version seems far-fetched to me, because no one numbered the apostles.
However, in this picture Juan de Juanes
(c. 1562) Judas is the only one of the apostles depicted without a halo, that is, he is exactly the 13th, if you count Christ:
According to another version, in European culture, the number “13” began to be considered “bad” after the last master of the Templar Order was burned at the stake on March 13, 1314 Jacques de Molay . (Actually, March 18, but who, besides historians, is interested in such subtleties?). Then someone calculated that de Molay's execution took place on a Friday (so much for the superstition about "Friday the 13th").
It is from the Templars that various Masonic organizations trace their origins. Well, the fact that the founders of the United States were close to Freemasonry, which was very popular in the 18th century, is a well-known fact. However, they did not particularly hide this (just look at the US banknotes).
Apparently it is from here, from the Templar roots of Freemasonry, that the roots of the special veneration of the number “13” by the authors of US state symbols grow.
Or maybe not...
What do you, my dear friends and readers, think about this? What other versions do you know?
Sergey Vorobiev.
When translated literally from English US coat of arms means the Great Seal of the United States, it is used to confirm the authenticity of documents issued by the government of the United States of America. It is always kept by the US Secretary of State.On the Fourth of July 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, the American Congress decided to create a seal of the state. Such a seal always has a coat of arms, but the new independent state simply did not have one. A committee was created. It included three famous US people - John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin. Each of them came up with the plot of the stamp seal independently. Franklin proposed to place on the seal Pharaoh on a chariot pursuing the people leaving after Moses, under the motto “Rebellion against tyranny is pleasing to God.” Jefferson's idea was that on one side of the US coat of arms the children of Israel would be depicted in the desert, following a cloud by day and fire by night, and on the reverse side the leaders of Saxony, their political principles and form of state would form the basis of a new independent country. Adams suggested depicting a resting Hercules leaning on a club.
But since none of the three representatives of the committee knew how to draw, it was decided to invite the artist, Pierre Eugene do Simitiere. As a result, in August 1776, the seal was submitted to Congress for consideration. The ideas did not fit on one side, so the seal had two sides - obverse and reverse. On the obverse they painted a shield and emblems of European states that settled in the United States. These are England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany and Holland. And they placed 13 silver shields with the initials of US states. The shield was held by the Goddess of Justice and the Goddess of Freedom. The crown of the US coat of arms was the eye, as depicted by the ancient Egyptians. At the bottom is the year in which independence was declared, and the motto is “E Pluribus Unum”. On the reverse is Franklin's idea.
However, despite all the influence of these outstanding people, Congress, after four years of consideration, rejected their idea. It took six whole years and three committees to create the Great Seal. It was only in 1782 that the final version of the coat of arms was invented by Charles Thomson. And on June 20, 1782, Congress finally approved the Great Seal and cast a copper matrix with a diameter of 2.25 inches. The first time Thomson used the Great Seal was on September 16, to confirm his signature. The document authorized D. Washington to negotiate an exchange of prisoners. Only the front side is used as printing. And this same side is the national emblem of the United States. The reverse side has never been used as a seal. But on July 2, 1935, President Roosevelt issued an order to place the reverse image on $1 bills, which remains unchanged to this day.
Small details of the Great Seal were modified, but the design has not changed since 1885.
Today the US coat of arms looks like this: the obverse is a bald eagle, the symbol of the USA, holding 13 arrows and an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 olives - a symbol that the USA calls for peace, but is also ready for war. The eagle's head turning toward the olive branch indicates that the United States prefers peace. In the bird's beak is a scroll with the motto - "E Pluribus Unum", translated "out of many - one." Above the oralon there are 13 stars forming a six-pointed star, on a blue background. In the center of the eagle there is a shield. It features 13 red and white stripes and 50 stars on a blue background.
On the reverse is an unfinished pyramid of 13 levels, at the top of which is an ancient Egyptian eye depicted in a triangle. Above the "All-Seeing Eye" is written "Annuit Cœptis", which translates as "it is favorable to our undertakings." At the bottom of the pyramid, the date is indicated in Roman numerals - MDCCLXXVI. On the scroll below is the inscription "Novus Ordo Seclorum", which means "New Order Forever". The number 13 in all cases symbolizes the original number of states in the United States.
Every country in the world has such national attributes as a flag, anthem and a seal. And the United States is no exception. Symbols of the USA, symbols of American statehood (Symbols of the USA) are the topic of many articles and books. But what are the basic facts you need to know about them?
US flag or "stars and stripes"
Government offices and streets decorated with flags in different countries can most often be seen on holidays or on the eve of them. In America, flags always hang not only on government buildings, but also on the houses of ordinary citizens. A large number of American flags is the first thing you notice when traveling through the states.
The American flag - the tricolor - is represented by three colors: white, red and blue. These colors have a deep meaning: red symbolizes courage and valor, while white symbolizes innocence and purity, and blue symbolizes justice, perseverance and vigilance. The banner is decorated with 13 stripes - 13 British colonies, which formed the state. The stars on the flag, 50 of them, mean the 50 states that are currently part of the United States.
The flag has many different interpretations, one of them belongs to George Washington, and it says the following: “We took the stars from Heaven; the red color meant the country from which we sailed; white stripes on red are a symbol of the fact that we have disconnected from it, and the stripes will have to symbolize the freedom of future generations.”
The Flag of the United States is also called "Stars and stripes", "Old Glory" and "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Two sides of the Great Seal of the USA
This seal serves as a tool to authenticate documents issued by the US Government. The Great Seal of the United States appears on the back of the one dollar bill. On the left side of the banknote you can see the image of the reverse side of the seal, and on the right - the front side.
Although seals typically have only one side, the Great Seal of the United States has two. The front part is considered the coat of arms of America. The obverse of the US coat of arms is a bald eagle, the symbol of the United States, in its claws there are 13 arrows and an olive branch with the same number of leaves and olives. Thus, the eagle announces to the world that the United States calls for peace, but is also ready for war.
The reverse side of the great seal also carries deep meaning. Sometimes it is even called spiritual. It is represented by a pyramid with 13 steps and the year 1776 at the foot, which is written in Roman numerals. Above the top of the pyramid is the Eye of Providence and the motto in Latin "Annuit Coeptis", which means "It favors our undertakings." Under the pyramid lies a scroll with the following saying: “A new order for all ages.” This seal is kept by the Secretary of State, and it is placed only on presidential addresses and international agreements.
The word “seal” in English is “stamp, seal”, and the Great Seal of the United States is “Great Seal of the United States”.
US anthem
The text for the American anthem was Francis Scott Key's poem "The Defense of Fort McHenry." This poem was written after the writer witnessed the shelling of the fortress during the Anglo-American War of 1812-1815. In their anthem, called “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the American people sing about the flag. The song became officially considered an anthem only in 1931, and before that the United States did not have an anthem.
The word "hymn" in English means "church anthem", and the national anthem is "national anthem".
Feathered symbol of America
Among the symbols of the United States there are also representatives of the animal world - the eagle, or rather the bald eagle, which in English is called “bald eagle”. This national bird is depicted on the coat of arms, banknotes and various official documents. The Great Seal of the United States is also decorated with an eagle.
In America, there are laws that prohibit killing birds without the appropriate permit.
American mottos
The phrase “In God We Trust,” which translates as “In God we trust,” is the official motto of the United States (national motto). It is printed on all paper banknotes of the country. Sometimes the phrase becomes a source of controversy among Americans. The fact is that religious freedom is a very important aspect for every person in America. This is even stated in the US Constitution. You can profess any religion, or not profess any religion at all.
Another famous motto of the American people is “E Pluribus Unum”, which translated from Latin means “Out of many, one.” This motto appears on the coat of arms of the United States and the Benfica football club (Lisbon). The quote belongs to Cicero (speech “On Virtues”). The phrase consists of 13 letters - the original number of states that once formed the union now known as the United States of America. Today the motto is interpreted as representing the unity of a nation that once consisted of many nationalities that came to America. The expression "E pluribus unum" can be seen on all US coins.
Other US symbols
The state symbols of the USA are also the Liberty Bell, which rang at the time of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, a gray-haired man with a goatee in a top hat and clothes of national colors - “Uncle Sam”, who has become a stable American symbol. For example, the phrase something is needed “for Uncle Sam” means that something is needed for the United States.
Buildings of national significance are also symbols of the USA: the well-known Statue of Liberty, the White House as the presidential residence, the United States Capitol - personifying parliamentary power, the Supreme Court building in Washington, George's memorials Washington, Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, Independence Hall and Mount Rushmore Arlington National Cemetery.
Some of the unique symbols include the sports games beloved by American citizens: baseball and American football, hamburgers and hot dogs, apple pie, bourbon (a type of whiskey), as well as Disneyland, Hollywood film studios, the lights of Las Vegas and Niagara Falls.
Words on the topic national symbols
- Patriotism - patriotism.
- National colors - national colors, this phrase also translates as national flag.
- Motherland/Homeland/Native - land.
- National myths.
- Coat of arms, coat of arms - coat of arms.
- Folk costume - folk costume.
- Folk dance - folk dance.
- National animal - national animal.
- National tree - national tree - oak - oak.
- National flower - national flower - rose -rose.
Anyone who studies English in depth and plans to further study in the United States or plans to become a citizen of an American state needs to know all the facts described above.
ABSTRACT
On the topic of:
"Flag, coat of arms and anthem of the United States"
Prepared by a student of class 10 “A”,
Gymnasium No. 5, Lyubertsy
Mutanov Roman.
US flag, coat of arms and anthem
Flag officially approved on August 4, 1960. Date of adoption: July 4, 1960
The flag of the United States of America is a flag with seven red and six white horizontal stripes. The blue rectangle on the left side symbolizes the Union. The blue canton has 50 white five-pointed stars. The 50 stars in the canton symbolize the 50 states. 13 stripes - 13 colonies that formed an independent state (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania). Blue color represents loyalty, devotion, friendship, justice, truth; red - courage, zeal, zeal; white - purity and moral principles.
Proportions 10:19. The legally established proportions of the national and state flags are usually observed only by the government and the armed forces; flags used by the public are made in proportions 2:3, 3:5, 5:8.
The predecessor of the current US flag was the flag of the British West India Company. It consisted of alternating red and white stripes.
Alternating stripes of different colors were generally popular on European maritime flags in the 16th-17th centuries. Suffice it to recall the 6-9 stripe flags of the Dutch sailors.
The urgent need for a new American flag was associated with the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. A new symbol was needed, and so in 1775 Congress adopted a naval ensign for American ships, consisting of 13 horizontal red and white stripes with the Union Jack in the canton.
On January 1, 1776, at Prospect Hill near Boston, the appointed commander of the Continental Army, George Washington, ordered the army to fly the Union Flag, sometimes called the Congress Colors on land.
In 1776, the Declaration of Independence of the United States was adopted at the 2nd Continental Congress. The new state included 13 territories that were former colonies of Great Britain: Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, South Carolina and North Carolina.
A year later, in 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the US national flag, which consisted of 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars on a blue background. The design of the flag was proposed by New Jersey representative Francis Hopkinson (he is also the author of the US State Seal). The captain of the ship "Ranger" P. Jones was present at this meeting. Arriving in Plymouth, he spoke about the newly approved flag, and soon the first stars and stripes were sewn by Plymouth seamstresses. In this version of the flag, 13 stars in the blue canton of the flag formed a circle.
This flag went down in history as the “Betsy Ross Flag.” It is believed to have been made by seamstress Elizabeth Ross. However, there are some ambiguities in this story...
One way or another, in September 1777, the new flag was used for the first time in the Revolutionary War in the defense of Fort Stenuwicks. At the very beginning of its “career” the new flag was used mainly on rebel warships, but later it was raised by ground units and merchant ships at sea.
At first, when making the flag, 7 red and 6 white stripes were used, or vice versa; the stars were often depicted not with five, but with six or seven points; their location in the canton was also not constant.
One of the interpretations of the flag, attributed to George Washington, reads: “We took the stars from Heaven; the red color meant the country from which we sailed; white stripes on red are a symbol of the fact that we have disconnected from it, and the stripes will have to symbolize the freedom of future generations.” Red also symbolizes valor, courage and diligence; white – purity of thoughts, honesty, freedom, directness; and blue stands for perseverance, loyalty, perseverance and justice. Stars symbolize sovereignty.
US coat of arms
On July 4, 1776, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were tasked with creating the Seal of the United States. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention believed that the emblem and national coat of arms would symbolize an independent nation and a free people with great aspirations and hopes for the future.
The design of the coat of arms (Great Seal) was approved six years later, on July 20, 1782. It reflects the beliefs and ideals that the Founding Fathers wanted to pass on to their descendants.
In the center is an image of a bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States. In its beak it holds a scroll with the inscription: “E Pluribus Unum”, which is translated from Latin as “Out of many, one” and means one nation created from 13 colonies. In one paw he holds an olive branch, in the other a bunch of 13 arrows. The branch and arrows "signify a power great both in peace and in war."
The eagle's chest is covered by a shield with 13 red and white stripes. The shield carried by the eagle alone means that Americans should rely only on their own strength. The red and white stripes of the shield represent the states united under and supported below by a blue stripe symbolizing the President and Congress. White stands for purity and innocence, red stands for courage and valor, and blue stands for vigilance, steadfastness and justice. Above the eagle's head is a cloud that frames a blue field in which there are 13 stars that form a constellation. The constellation indicates that the new state has taken its place among other nations.
The number 13 is repeated repeatedly in the image of the coat of arms:
· 13 stars in the coat of arms above the eagle;
· 13 stripes on the shield covering the bird's chest;
· 13 arrows in the eagle's left paw;
· 13 olives and leaves on a branch in the right paw;
· 13 letters in the motto “E Pluribus Unum”.
This number represents the first 13 states that became part of the United States - Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Reverse side of the coat of arms
The reverse side of the seal is sometimes called its spiritual side. It shows a pyramid of 13 steps with the number 1776 at its base, depicted in Roman numerals. Above the pyramid is the Eye of Providence, and above it is the motto “Annuit Coeptis”, which means: “It (the Eye of Providence) favors our undertakings” or “He likes our undertakings.” The scroll located under the pyramid reads: "Novus Ordo Seclorum", which translates as "New Order for All Ages". The year 1776 marks the beginning of a new American era.
The reverse side of the seal is shown on the back of the one dollar bill. The Secretary of State is considered the official custodian of the seal. It is applied only to strictly defined documents, such as international treaties and presidential addresses. You can see the Great Seal in the State Department Exhibition Hall in Washington.
On March 3, 1931, the poem “The Star Spangled Banner” by poet Francis Scott Key, written in 1812(4?), was adopted by the US Congress as the text of the US anthem. It was performed without any prejudice to the melody of an old English drinking song.
US anthem
The patriotic song, whose lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814 during the war with the British, was adopted by the US Congress as the national anthem in 1931. Long before this, the song had become popular, and military bands were ordered to perform it at various ceremonial events.
Despite the fact that Key composed the poems during the shelling of Fort McHenry in Baltimore by British artillery, they were set to the music of an English song, well known in America in the 90s of the 18th century. It was the tune to the poem "Anacreon in Paradise", written around 1780 and used as the official song of the British social and musical organization The Anacreontic Society. Key had already used this tune in 1805, when he set it to another poem of his own, dedicated to Commander Stephen Decatur.
Key was a prominent 34-year-old Washington lawyer and poet. The British captured Washington and captured Dr. William Beans. They kept him aboard one of the ships in their flotilla, anchored off the coast of Baltimore. Beans' friends persuaded Key to take part in negotiations for his release. Key went to the British flotilla and successfully negotiated, but since the British were just about to attack Baltimore, they detained both Key and Beans.
On the night of September 13–14, Key observed the shelling of Baltimore from the deck of a British ship. The rain made the fort difficult to see at night, but at first light he saw the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry. The fort survived after the British fired 1,800 bombs, rockets and shells at it, 400 of which fell inside the fort. Four of its defenders were killed and 24 wounded. Key scribbled a poem on the envelope. After the detained Americans were put ashore and the British flotilla weighed anchor, Key finished the poem and copied it out in full at a Baltimore hotel the next day.
According to some accounts, Key showed the poem to his wife's relatives in Baltimore, who immediately printed it and distributed it throughout the city in the form of leaflets under the title "Defense of Fort McHenry." After a couple of weeks, the newspapers published the poem, it quickly became popular and was soon renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” At a public performance in Baltimore, it was performed by an actor to the tune of a famous English song. It wasn't until the outbreak of the Civil War that "The Star-Spangled Banner" became a national song. It was sung by both Unionists and Confederates. During World War I, efforts were made in Congress to make it the official anthem of the American armed forces. Other contenders included "America the Beautiful" and "Yankee Doodle." Residents and representatives of the state of Maryland with particular activity advocated for the words of Francis Scott Key, set to an English tune, to become the first national anthem in the history of the country. Eventually, it did, with the passage of Public Law 823 (P.L. 823) and its signing by President Herbert Hoover on March 3, 1931.
The anthem has four verses, each of which ends with the line: “Over the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
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