American Symbols Quiz: Flag, Bald Eagle, Liberty Bell & More

This American symbols quiz covers the images that stand for the United States, from the bald eagle and the Stars and Stripes to the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty and the motto E pluribus unum. Ten questions, 90 seconds, answers explained.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

National Bird
What is the national bird of the United States?
The Flag
How many stars are on the U.S. flag today?
The Flag
What do the 13 stripes on the U.S. flag stand for?
Landmarks
Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
History
In which city is the Liberty Bell displayed today?
Music
Which song became the official U.S. national anthem in 1931?
Animals
Which animal became the official national mammal of the United States in 2016?
The Flag
According to a popular story, who sewed the first American flag?
Nature
Which flower became the national floral emblem of the United States in 1986?
Mottos
Which Latin motto on the Great Seal means Out of many, one?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What is the national bird of the United States?
Answer: Bald eagle
The bald eagle was chosen for the Great Seal of the United States in 1782 and has been a national symbol ever since. It is not actually bald: the name comes from an old word meaning white-headed.
Q2: How many stars are on the U.S. flag today?
Answer: 50
The flag has had 50 stars since July 4, 1960, after Hawaii became the 50th state. By law, a new star is added on the Fourth of July after a new state joins the Union.
Q3: What do the 13 stripes on the U.S. flag stand for?
Answer: The 13 original colonies
The 13 red and white stripes represent the 13 British colonies that declared independence in 1776. The 50 white stars on the blue field represent today's states.
Q4: Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
Answer: France
France gave the statue as a gift of friendship, and it was dedicated in New York Harbor in 1886. The sculptor was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.
Q5: In which city is the Liberty Bell displayed today?
Answer: Philadelphia
The Liberty Bell hangs in the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia, across from Independence Hall. Its famous crack spread in the 1800s, and the bell has not been rung since 1846.
Q6: Which song became the official U.S. national anthem in 1931?
Answer: The Star-Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key wrote the words in 1814 after watching the British bombard Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Congress made The Star-Spangled Banner the national anthem in 1931.
Q7: Which animal became the official national mammal of the United States in 2016?
Answer: American bison
President Barack Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act in 2016, making the American bison the national mammal. Tens of millions of bison once roamed North America, but only around 1,000 were left by the late 1800s.
Q8: According to a popular story, who sewed the first American flag?
Answer: Betsy Ross
The story that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia upholsterer, sewed the first Stars and Stripes became popular about a century later, and historians have found no firm proof. She did make flags for the Pennsylvania navy.
Q9: Which flower became the national floral emblem of the United States in 1986?
Answer: Rose
Congress named the rose the national floral emblem in 1986, and President Ronald Reagan signed the proclamation in the White House Rose Garden. Wild roses grow across the country.
Q10: Which Latin motto on the Great Seal means Out of many, one?
Answer: E pluribus unum
E pluribus unum appears on the Great Seal and on U.S. coins, describing many states joining as one nation. The other two Latin phrases appear on the back of the seal, which is printed on the one-dollar bill.

American Symbols Quiz – The Images Behind a Nation

Every country uses symbols to tell its story, and the United States has some of the best known in the world. The Stars and Stripes flies over schools, ballparks and government buildings. The bald eagle appears on the Great Seal, on coins and on the President's flag. The Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty draw millions of visitors a year, and The Star-Spangled Banner opens sporting events from Little League games to the Super Bowl.

Many of these symbols were chosen in the nation's earliest years, when the founders wanted images that would unite thirteen very different colonies. Others came much later: the national anthem only became official in 1931, the rose was named the national flower in 1986 and the bison became the national mammal in 2016. Each choice reflects what Americans wanted to say about themselves at the time.

Knowing the stories behind the symbols makes them more than decoration. The 13 stripes recall the colonies that broke away from Britain, the Liberty Bell's crack has become a reminder that freedom is fragile, and the Latin motto on every coin describes a country made from many parts.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz suits students learning U.S. history and civics, people preparing for the citizenship test and visitors who want to understand what they see on a trip to the United States.

Why the bald eagle became America's national bird
What the stars and stripes on the flag stand for
How the Statue of Liberty came to New York Harbor
Where the Liberty Bell is today and why it no longer rings
When The Star-Spangled Banner became the national anthem
What E pluribus unum means and where to find it

Quick Facts About American Symbols

Benjamin Franklin is often said to have preferred the wild turkey to the bald eagle, based on a letter he wrote to his daughter in 1784.
The Statue of Liberty's torch was replaced in 1986, and the original is now displayed in the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island.
Uncle Sam, with his top hat and white beard, became a popular symbol of the U.S. government during the War of 1812.
The U.S. flag has changed 27 times since 1777 as new states joined.
The Great Seal's eagle holds an olive branch for peace and 13 arrows for war.
The national tree of the United States, chosen in 2004, is the oak.