O Say Can You Ace This Quiz on U.S. Symbols?

Though America’s motto may officially be “In God we trust,” the phrase “E pluribus unum” has long served as the country’s de facto motto and is still found on U.S. currency. The phrase was first proposed in July 1776 by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, who were tasked with designing a seal for the new nation. All three agreed on the motto “E pluribus unum,” which translates to “from many, one” and refers to a single country formed by uniting many states.

It wasn’t until November 20, 1986, that President Ronald Reagan officially declared the rose as America’s national floral emblem. The rose has a storied history in America, and was grown by George Washington who even named one variety after his mother. It’s now prominently featured in the historic White House rose garden. Another flower that was considered was the marigold, which is known for being native to the Americas and growing in all 50 states.

Francis Scott Key was inspired to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the War of 1812. He wrote the lyrics after seeing an American flag flying majestically above Baltimore’s Fort McHenry amid relentless bombardment. The anthem is set to the tune of an old English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heav’n.” Though the full song contains five verses, traditionally only the first verse is sung.

This larger-than-life monument in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest features U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Each leader’s face stands 60 feet high and was crafted between 1927 and 1941. Washington’s head was first dedicated in 1930, followed by Jefferson in 1936, Lincoln in 1937, and Roosevelt in 1939.

The Statue of Liberty, designed by French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi in collaboration with engineer Gustave Eiffel, was gifted to the United States in 1876 to commemorate the nation’s centennial. Inscripted with the words “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” the monument can be found in New York Harbor near Ellis Island, where it has welcomed millions of immigrants to the U.S. throughout its time on American soil.

The Liberty Bell originally hung in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House beginning in the 1750s. A small crack began to form in the 1840s after 90 years of heavy use (though the exact origin was never recorded). A larger crack later appeared as part of an unsuccessful repair job, which led to a wider fissure, and the bell has remained silent ever since. It now sits in the Liberty Bell Center adjacent to the former state house (known today as Independence Hall).

The fictional character Rosie the Riveter was the face of a World War II campaign aimed at recruiting female laborers to the industrial workforce as men went off to fight in the war. The image was created by artist J. Howard Miller in 1942 and features a bandana-clad Rosie with her arm flexed. The image was often accompanied by the inspiring caption, “We Can Do It!”

With his top hat and white beard, Uncle Sam — representing the personification of the U.S. government — has been featured in American political cartoons since the 1830s. (A 19th-century New York businessman named Samuel Wilson is believed to be the namesake for the character.) Uncle Sam most famously appeared on a World War I military recruitment poster designed by James Montgomery Flagg, with the caption, “I Want You.”

The bald eagle is the only eagle solely native to North America, and it was declared the national bird of the United States in 1782. The Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 attempted to preserve the bird’s dwindling population, which has grown in recent years thanks to those efforts. In 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the U.S. list of endangered and threatened species.

The American flag was established on June 14, 1777 — a date that’s now commemorated annually on Flag Day, which was declared a national holiday by President Harry S. Truman in 1949. The flag, nicknamed “Old Glory,” features 13 red and white stripes representing the 13 original Colonies, and 50 white stars representing each U.S. state. The current design has been in place since 1960.