American symbols

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Министерство образования и науки Российской Федерации

Пензенский Государственный Университет

Кафедра "Перевод и переводоведение"

Курсовая работа

по дисциплине "История и культура стран изучаемого языка"

на тему American symbols

Выполнил студент: Чебан А.Д.

2016

Introduction

Every nation has symbols--specific objects that represent beliefs, values, traditions, or other intangible ideas that make that country unique. While these symbols may change over time, they can help to bind a nation together by reminding its people of their nation's history and most important principles. Undoubtedly,the history of the country can be tracked and understood through the State symbols.The purpose of my work is to descry American symbols,their history and meaning,and to know and understand American culture, some traditions and mentality due to some official and unofficial state symbols.

Official Symbols

American Flag

The History of the American Flag.

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new nation. The resolution stated: "Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." On Aug. 3, 1949, President Harry S. Truman officially declared June 14 as Flag Day.

The history of the flag is as fascinating as that of the American Republic itself. It has survived battles, inspired songs and evolved in response to the growth of the country it represents. The following is a collection of interesting facts and customs about the American flag :

Origins

The origin of the first American flag is unknown. Some historians believe it was designed by New Jersey Congressman Francis Hopkinson and sewn by Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross.

The name Old Glory was given to a large, 10-by-17-foot flag by its owner, William Driver, a sea captain from Massachusetts. Inspiring the common nickname for all American flags, Driver's flag is said to have survived multiple attempts to deface it during the Civil War. Driver was able to fly the flag over the Tennessee Statehouse once the war ended. The flag is a primary artifact at the National Museum of American History and was last displayed in Tennessee by permission of the Smithsonian at an exhibition in 2006.

Between 1777 and 1960 Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state.

The National Museum of American History has undertaken a long-term preservation project of the enormous 1814 garrison flag that survived the 25-hour shelling of Fort McHenry in Baltimore by British troops and inspired Francis Scott Key to compose "The Star-Spangled Banner." Often referred to by that name, the flag had become soiled and weakened over time and was removed from the museum in December 1998. This preservation effort began in earnest in June 1999, and continues to this day. The flag is now stored at a 10-degree angle in a special low-oxygen, filtered light chamber and is periodically examined at a microscopic level to detect signs of decay or damage within its individual fibers.

There are a few locations where the U.S. flag is flown 24 hours a day, by either presidential proclamation or by law:

- Fort McHenry, National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland flag history museum

- Flag House Square, Baltimore, Maryland

- United States Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia

- On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts

- The White House, Washington, D.C.

- United States customs ports of entry

- Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Inspiration

After a British bombardment, amateur poet Francis Scott Key was so inspired by the sight of the American flag still flying over Baltimore's Fort McHenry that he wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" on Sept. 14, 1814. It officially became American national anthem in 1931.

In 1892, the flag inspired James B. Upham and Francis Bellamy to write The Pledge of Allegiance. It was first published in a magazine called The Youth's Companion.

On Distant Shores

In 1909, Robert Peary placed an American flag, sewn by his wife, at the North Pole. He also left pieces of another flag along the way. It is the only time a person has been honored for cutting the flag.

In 1963, Barry Bishop placed the American flag on top of Mount Everest.

In July 1969, the American flag was "flown" in space when Neil Armstrong placed it on the moon. Flags were placed on the lunar surface on each of six manned landings during the Apollo program.

The first time the American flag was flown overseas on a foreign fort was in Libya, over Fort Derne, on the shores of Tripoli in 1805.

Displaying the Stars and Stripes

The flag is usually displayed from sunrise to sunset. It should be raised briskly and lowered ceremoniously. In inclement weather, the flag should not be flown.

The flag should be displayed daily and on all holidays, weather permitting, on or near the main administration buildings of all public institutions. It should also be displayed in or near every polling place on election days and in or near every schoolhouse during school days.

When displayed flat against a wall or a window, or in a vertical orientation, the "union" field of stars should be uppermost and to the left of the observer.

When the flag is raised or lowered as part of a ceremony, and as it passes by in parade or review, everyone, except those in uniform, should face the flag with the right hand over the heart.

The U.S. flag should never be dipped toward any person or object, nor should the flag ever touch anything beneath it.

Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.

American Hymn

About the Flag That Inspired the Song.

During the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, battles took place throughout the East Coast of the United States, including in and around the capital city of Washington, D.C.

Fort McHenry is located at the entrance to Baltimore harbor, and during the summer of 1813, Major George Armistead served as that stronghold's commander. Major Armistead was ready to defend the fort, but he wanted a flag that would identify his position, making it visible to the enemy from a distance.

Determined to deliver such a flag to Major Armistead, a committee of high-ranking officers called on Mary Young Pickersgill, a "maker of colours" who had experience in making ship flags. They explained that they wanted a United States flag that measured 30 feet by 42 feet. She agreed to the job.

Mary and her thirteen-year-old daughter Caroline worked in a large space at a local brewery. They used 400 yards of best quality wool bunting. They cut 15 stars that measured two feet from point to point, and eight red and seven white stripes, each two feet wide. They laid the material on the malt house floor, where it was sewn together. By August it was finished. It measured 30 by 42 feet and cost $405.90.

In August 1813, the flag was presented to Major Armistead, but, as things turned out, more than a year would pass before hostile forces threatened Baltimore.

On August 19th, 1814, the British entered Chesapeake Bay, and by the evening of the 24th of August, the British had invaded and captured Washington. They set fire to the Capitol and the White House, the flames visible 40 miles away in Baltimore.

In the days following the attack on Washington, British forces left the city and returned to their ships on the Chesapeake, just outside of Baltimore. The American forces prepared for the assault on Baltimore (population 40,000) coming by both land and sea.About

The Man Who Wrote The Song.

Francis Scott Key was born on August 1, 1779 in western Maryland. He attended grammar school and went on to St. John's College in Annapolis, where he graduated at the young age of 17. By 1805, Key had established a law practice in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.

During the British attacks on Washington, D.C., Key's friend Dr. William Beanes, a much loved town physician from Upper Marlboro, Maryland was taken prisoner by the British army soon after its departure from Washington. Key left for Baltimore to obtain the services of Colonel John Skinner, the government's prisoner of war exchange agent.

With approval from President Madison, together Key and Skinner sailed down the bay on a truce ship and met the British fleet. Key successfully negotiated the doctor's release, but was detained with Skinner and Beanes by the British until the completion of the attack on Baltimore.

At 7 a.m. on September 13, 1814, the British bombardment of Ft. McHenry began. The bombardment continued for 25 hours, with the British firing rockets across the sky.

Francis Scott Key, Col. Skinner, and Dr. Beanes watched the battle with apprehension. They knew that as long as the shelling continued, Fort McHenry had not surrendered. But, long before daylight there came a sudden and mysterious silence. Judging Baltimore as being too costly a prize, the British officers ordered a retreat.

In the predawn darkness, Key waited for the sight that would end his anxiety: the joyous sight of Gen. Armistead's great flag blowing in the breeze. When daylight came, Key spotted the huge flag waving above the Ft. McHenry.

Thrilled by the sight of the flag and the knowledge that the fort had not fallen, Key took a letter from his pocket, and began to write some verses on the back of it. Later, after the British fleet had withdrawn, Key checked into a Baltimore hotel, and completed his poem on the defense of Fort McHenry. He then sent it to a printer for duplication on handbills, and within a few days the poem was put to the music of an old English song. Both the new song and the flag became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner."

In October of that year, a Baltimore actor sang Key's new song in a public performance and called it "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Although the song was immediately popular, it remained just one of several patriotic airs until it was officially named our national anthem by Congress in 1931.

The original Star-Spangled Banner went on view for the first time after flying over Fort McHenry, on January 1st, 1876 at the Old State House in Philadelphia for the nations' centennial celebration. It is now on display in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History.

Great Seal of the United States

Eye: At the top of the pyramid is the Eye of Providence with the Latin motto Annuit Coeptis in the sky above - meaning It (the Eye of Providence) is favorable to the undertakings.

Scroll: Below the pyramid, a scroll reads Novus Ordo Seclorum - Latin for New Order of the Ages. which refers to 1776 as the beginning of the American new era

A Patriotic American March

"The Stars and Stripes Forever"

The Stars and Stripes Forever - an official march of the United States

"The Stars and Stripes Forever." It's the official march of the United States and it's John Philip Sousa's most famous composition.

All of his life, John Philip Sousa loved music and loved America, so it's no surprise that he wrote this patriotic classic. Sousa grew up in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War. As a kid, he enjoyed hearing the Civil War military bands that filled the streets of Washington as well as the sounds of his father's trombone. His father played in the U.S. Marine Band and Sousa quickly followed in his footsteps. Sousa first enlisted in the Marine Band as an apprentice violinist and later became the bandleader. When Sousa wasn't playing with a band, he was writing music, like "The Stars and Stripes Forever." By the 1890s he had written enough popular marches to be nicknamed the "March King.

Sousa had natural talents that helped him when he was writing music. He could imagine what a song would sound like just by reading the musical score. Many musicians and composers need a piano to help them hear a song, but Sousa could hear it in his head. He called it his "brain-band." He also had what is called perfect pitch, because he could recognize any note played. And Sousa was hard-working and focused. He would write music almost anywhere: on a train, between band rehearsals, or in a hotel room.

Sousa believed that in order to write inspiring music he had to be inspired when he wrote it. Some of his inspiration came from a "higher power" and some of it came from his imagination. When composing a march, Sousa would often "turn my imagination loose among scenes of barbaric splendor. I picture to myself the glitter of guns and swords, the tread of feet to the drum beat, and all that is grand and glorious in military scenes." Sousa also found inspiration in everyday life. The inspiration for "The Stars and Stripes Forever" came while Sousa was traveling home to the United States.

Sousa and his wife were enjoying a European vacation in 1896, when they saw a startling newspaper article. Sousa's band manager, David Blakely, had died a few days earlier. Soon Sousa and his wife were on a ship heading home to New York. On the journey home, Sousa started hearing "the rhythmic beat of a band playing within my brain. It kept on ceaselessly, playing, playing, playing. Throughout the whole tense voyage, that imaginary band continued to unfold the same themes, echoing and re-echoing the most distinct melody." When he got home he wrote down the music for what would become "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Sousa said the song was about the feeling of coming home to America and how "in a foreign country the sight of the Stars and Stripes seems the most glorious in the world."

"The Stars and Stripes Forever" was an immediate hit. From 1897 until the band stopped touring, whenever they performed, the audience would expect to hear "The Stars and Stripes Forever." When it was played, the audience would stand up as though it were the national anthem. At first it was not unusual for the band to play it two or three times in a performance, each time receiving louder applause than before. Sousa played it for the last time on the day he died, March 6, 1932.

Unofficial symbols

Bald eagle

Every state has its own official bird. The bald eagle represens the United States of America. Images of the iconic bird can be found just about everywhere, from coins and paper currency to passports and the president's official seal.

The idea for using the bald eagle to symbolize America was proposed in 1782, when a drawing of the eagle was presented to the newly-formed Congress, according the U.S. National Archives. It was immediately accepted, and soon an olive branch and arrows (representing peace and war, respectively) were included in the eagle's talons.

The bald eagle was officially adopted as the emblem of the United States five years later, in 1787.

The bald eagle was chosen because of its association with authority and statehood in fact, the eagle had been used as a symbol of governmental power since Roman times.

President John F. Kennedy added to the list of noble descriptors when he wrote to Charles Callison of the National Audubon Society on July 18, 1961: "The founding fathers made an appropriate choice when they selected the bald eagle as the emblem of the nation . The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the strength and freedom of America."

Statue of Liberty

"La Libertй Йclairant le Monde" or "Liberty Enlightening the World" is the official name given to the Statue the Liberty by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and is a symbol of freedom to the entire world. In recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution, French statesman and writer Edouard de Laboulaye proposed presenting a monument to America as a gift from the people of France. The statue was a joint effort between the two countries - Americans would build the pedestal and the French would build the statue - in honor of the centennial of the Declaration of Independence.

Bartholdi was commissioned to design the sculpture, which he modeled after his mother, Charlotte. Gustave Eiffel, who would later design the Eiffel Tower, designed Lady Liberty's skeleton - four huge iron columns that support a metal framework holding the thin copper skin. Bartholdi chose copper because it was attractive, yet durable enough to withstand the long voyage, and virtually impervious to the salt-laden air of the New York Harbor. Bartholdi began by creating the statue's right arm and torch, which were exhibited at Philadelphia's Centennial Exposition in 1876. In 1877, the 42-foot-high sculpture was placed in Madison Square Park at Madison Avenue and 23rd Street to raise funds for the construction of the Statue of Liberty's pedestal. The arm and torch remained in the park for seven years.

In France, the completed head and shoulders of the statue were publicly displayed to encourage donations. Various forms of entertainment and lotteries were among the many methods used to raise money. In the United States, in addition to the right arm and torch being displayed to inspire generosity, the American Committee for the statue solicited contributions, and used art and theater benefits, auctions, and prize fights to help fund the project. But it was the efforts of politician and newspaperman Joseph Pulitzer (of the Pulitzer Prize) that generated the most money; Pulitzer used his newspaper, "The World," to criticize the wealthy, who had not assist in financing the pedestal construction, as well as the middle class, who relied upon the wealthy. His tactic worked and Americans were moved to donate more than $100,000. The financing of the pedestal was completed in August 1885 and construction was finished in April 1886.

Meanwhile, the Statue was completed in France in July 1884 and arrived in New York in June of 1885 in over 300 pieces, packed in 214 crates. The re-assembly took four months and the Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal on Bedloe's Island, renamed Liberty Island in 1956. On October 28th, 1886, a decade after the centennial, President Grover Cleveland unveiled and dedicated the Statue of Liberty to thousands of spectators. In 1903, Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colossus" - "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…" - was inscribed on a bronze tablet laid in the statue's pedestal

Liberty Bell

Tourists from all over the world come to Independence Hall in Philadelphia to see The Liberty Bell - an international symbol of freedom. The 2,000-pound Liberty Bell rang when the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Cast in London in 1752, the original liberty bell cracked on the very first strike in Philadelphia after arriving from England. The bell was recast (using the metal from the old bell) but the second bell was defective too. A third (and last) bell was cast which includes this inscription:

"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof... "

This third Liberty Bell cracked sometime between 1817 and 1846. The earliest known use of the phrase "The Liberty Bell" was by the American Anti-Slavery Society - it appeared in theFebruary 1835 issue of The Anti-Slavery Record.

On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell summoned citizens of Philadelphia for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. The Liberty Bell was also rung previously to announce the opening of the First Continental Congress in 1774 and after the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775

Uncle Sam

The United States has many symbols, including the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Bell. However, there is one that has been featured in a recruiting poster, served as a symbol of patriotism, and is a personification of the government of the United States of America. This symbol is Uncle Sam.

Uncle Sam was supposedly based on a real person, Sam Wilson, a businessman during the War of 1812. Though the image of Uncle Sam was made popular by Thomas Nast and the cartoonists of Puck Magazine, the portrait of Uncle Sam created by James Montgomery Flagg for the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie's Weekly soon led to Uncle Sam's iconic status. The image was used to encourage men to enlist in the military and to encourage civilian support for the entry of the U.S. into World War I. Uncle Sam was officially adopted as a national symbol of the United States of America in 1950.

Conclusion

In conclusion I would like to say that official symbols represent the cultural heritage of the country. The symbols of the country are the reflection of mentality and the character of its inhabitant, As we can see from the history, each symbol has its own unique history, but all of them express different values of the American nation.

References

1. http://www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth/history/old-glory/

2. 2)http://www.usa-flag-site.org/history/

3. 3)Preble, George Henry" History of the Flag of the United States of America"

4. http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/september11/ssbfacts.html

5. 5)http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/national-us/state-seal/united-states-seal

6. http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_mott.htm

7. http://greatseal.com/mottoes/seclorum.html

8. Totten C.A.L. "The seal of history"

9. http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/sousa/aa_sousa_forever_3.html

10. 10)http://www.livescience.com/32811-why-is-the-bald-eagle-americas-national-bird-.html

11. http://www.nyctrip.com/pages/index.aspx?pageID=1143

12. http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/national-us/state-cultural-heritage/liberty-bell

13. Benson J. Lossing, "Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution"

14. 14)https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2014/07/uncle-sam-american-symbol-american-icon/

Application

American flag

Great Seal of the United States

Bald eagle

Statue of Liberty

Liberty bell

Uncle Sam

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