
The Bald Eagle Appears in the First Great Seal of the U.S.
Clip: Episode 6 | 1m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
Why did the Founding Fathers decide to use the bald eagle in the Great Seal of the U.S.?
Eva Diaz, associate professor of art history at Pratt University, explains the cultural and allegorical significance of the Founding Fathers' decision to use the bald eagle as the prominent symbol in the Great Seal of the United States.
Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein is a production of Show of Force, DMR Productions, and WETA Washington, D.C. David M. Rubenstein is the host and executive...

The Bald Eagle Appears in the First Great Seal of the U.S.
Clip: Episode 6 | 1m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
Eva Diaz, associate professor of art history at Pratt University, explains the cultural and allegorical significance of the Founding Fathers' decision to use the bald eagle as the prominent symbol in the Great Seal of the United States.
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Our Symbols and Stories
David Rubenstein examines the history of America through some of its most iconic symbols, objects and places, in conversation with historical thinkers, community members and other experts. Together, they dive deep into each symbol’s history, using them as a gateway to understanding America’s past and present.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- [Historian] This is Charles Thompson's design.
- [Historian] His design, but not the official?
- It's not the final.
- Not the final.
But it was the one that was approved.
- I would say this is really the breakthrough.
There's long tradition in Western countries that spread all around the world that for highly special, formal documents a seal is applied to show everyone the authenticity of the document.
And so the United States needed a great seal for things like treaties to make sure that people respected the commissions that it gave to its officers, both military and civilian, and for other ceremonial purposes to be able to play on the same kind of stage that the other countries of the world did at the time.
- The Eagle has a long historical set of values.
So you have, let's say in Rome, the Aquila, which was the symbol of military strength.
There's the keen eyesight, the predation.
There's just these aspects of the bird that are associated really with the kind of violence of military conquest.
So there's a lot that's, you know, what you could call apotropaic about a symbol.
It wards off evil, and it's about reflecting out, you know, and not so much that you live in that form of domination, but that you are actually using it almost as a mirror to your enemy to make you stronger than yourself.
- [Historian] So that is the seal of the United States of America.
- First seal of the United States, right?
And the first time it was used was in September 17th, 1782, and was commission for George Washington.
- And this is officially called the Great Seal of the United States of America.
The American Bald Eagle Preview
Video has Closed Captions
The story of how the Bald Eagle soared to its vaunted perch in American iconography. (31s)
Bald Eagles Gather in the Pristine Alaskan Ecosystem
Video has Closed Captions
The greatest bald eagle migration on Earth happens in the Alaskan village of Haines. (4m 55s)
Video has Closed Captions
The effect of DDT on the Bald Eagle population in the northeastern U.S. was devastating. (31s)
The Infamous Bird's 1000 Pound Nest
Video has Closed Captions
This clip features a Bald Eagle's nest that is estimated to weigh around 1000 pounds. (45s)
Restoring and Hacking Bald Eagles in NY
Video has Closed Captions
David talks to Peter Nye, the biologist who saved the bald eagle population in New York. (3m 52s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipIconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein is a production of Show of Force, DMR Productions, and WETA Washington, D.C. David M. Rubenstein is the host and executive...