Great Seal > Symbols > Eagle   (Site contents below) The Bald Eagle on America's Great Seal When Charles Thomson put together the final design for the Great Seal in June 1782, he made its centerpiece an "American Eagle on the wing and rising." His preliminary sketch (above) is very important because it's our only direct graphic link to the imagery he envisioned. That's because the Great Seal adopted by Congress is a written description only. No artwork was submitted nor approved. In the Eagle's stronger right talon, Thomson placed the olive branch suggested by the second committee whose designs had Peace and Liberty holding the olive branch. And the Eagle faces toward this ancient symbol Thomson called "the power of peace." In the left talon, the Eagle holds the power of war symbolized by the bundle of 13 arrows. On a scroll in the Eagle's beak, Thomson placed E Pluribus Unum, the motto suggested by the first committee:. For the final Great Seal, the stripes in the shield were changed to the vertical ones we see today. Also, the Eagle's stance was changed so its wings are in the more traditional "displayed" position with wing tips up. Although not specifically mentioned, clearly the American Eagle on the Great Seal represents liberty and freedom, a theme central to all three preliminary designs. The first committee included a two-headed eagle as a minor element on its shield, and the third committee had a small white eagle (right) in the crest at the top of their design for the Great Seal. But both these eagles were old-world Germanic versions. NOTE: Since 1778, an eagle had been in the crest of two state seals: New York and Pennsylvania. Ben Franklin muses on the wild turkey as a symbol of "the temper and conduct of America." The Eagle on the Great Seal has always faced the olive branch, but not the Eagle on the Seal of the President. GreatSeal.com commissioned wildlife artist Cy Hundley to create an accurate realization of Thomson's design. T-shirts for sale Explore GreatSeal.com. Feel the inspiration America's founders experienced. Main sections of the site's 76 pages Examine the other SYMBOLS on the Seal's Two Sides: Dynamic imagery from nature and history. Includes clickable image map. Learn the origin and meaning of the Great Seal's Three MOTTOES: Small phrases with big repercussions. See Preliminary DESIGNS for the Great Seal: Ideas suggested by three committees (1776-1782). Recognize MYTH and Misinformation: Don't let America's emblem become a casualty of lore. See why PEACE is Patriotic: "The power of peace" as a founding principle. Great Seal SIGHTINGS: American symbols in the news, wise and otherwise. Get an overview on the Front Page. Look on the bright side of America. VISIT the Great Seal Gift Shop for T-Shirts and Posters.