It took the Founding Fathers six years to pick a Great Seal for the United States. They wanted a symbol unique to America, and that represented the new nation. In 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee made up of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin to design a seal for the new nation.
The committee’s final design was very complicated, and Congress rejected all of it, except for the motto “E Pluribus Unum“, which is Latin for “Out of Many, One.”
In a 1782 design the bald eagle was added to the seal.
In 1780, the Continental Congress appointed another committee made up of James Lovell of Massachusetts, John Morin Scott, and William Churchill Houston of Virginia.
Unfortunately, their design was also rejected by Congress, although some parts of it – the olive branch, the shield, and the 13 stars – were used in the final design.
A third committee was appointed in 1782. This committee added the bald eagle. After a little polishing, the final design was submitted to the Second Continental Congress and approved on June 20, 1782.
1767 portrait by David Martin
Two years after the Continental Congress approved the final design, Benjamin Franklin wrote to his daughter Sarah about the choice of the bald eagle on the Great Seal.
“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.
“With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country…
“I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America… He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”
–Benjamin Franklin, in a 1784 letter to his daughter Sarah
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