How Did the Eagle Become Our National Symbol?

The United States was not the first nation to use the eagle, the "king of birds," as its national symbol.

The army of the Roman Empire also had the eagle as its symbol, and carried the figure of an eagle on the top of their standards. Other countries have used the eagle as a symbol too.

When the United States Congress wanted to adopt a national symbol, in 1782, they decided on the bald eagle, a majestic bird found only in the U.S. and Canada.