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Page 1; American Milestone Documents

American Milestone Documents

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4 annotations have been added to this document.

- E Pluribus Unum
- E PLURIBUS UNUM: Latin motto meaning "Out of many, one." It was suggested by the Great Seal committee in 1776.
- 13 Stars, representative of 13 colonies
- Thirteen stripes for 13 original states.

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2 comments on this document.

Who is Charles Thomson? Why was he selected to design the seal?

by kwright

Coming from a graphic designer's point of view, it's interesting to see how something so important could have looked and how the artist designed it.

by smeemctyre

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About this Document

From the 1776 Declaration of Independence to the 1964 Tonkin Gulf Resolution, nearly two hundred years of US history can be interpreted through these formative documents. View images of the originals and learn where each document is archived. This collection provides a first-hand look at some of the nation's high and low points, including the purchase of Alaska, the 1945 surrenders of Germany and Japan, recognition of Israel, censure of Joseph McCarthy, the 19th amendment, and more.

Source Information

Publication Title:: American Milestone Documents
Short Description:: View images of original documents representing some of the most historic milestones in United States history.
Browse Title:: Design of the Great Seal
Year:: 1782
Citation:: Charles Thomson's Design for the Great Seal of the United States, 1782; Reports of Committees of Congress; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives
Title:: Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States
Page:: 1