e-ReferenceDesk's College and 50 State Learning Resource Guide

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State Symbols

The official state symbols represent the cultural heritage and natural treasures of each state or the entire United States

National Symbols

National Symbols

Bird, Creed, Flag, Flower, Justice, The Liberty Bell, National Holiday, Motto, National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, Seal, Songs and Oaths, Supreme Court, Tree, Uncle Sam, US Capitol, White House

United States Government Buildings

US Capitol

Accepted 1972

Built on a hill popularly called Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, the US Capitol has been the home of the House of Representatives and the Senate since 1800.

In March 1792, a design contest was announced to design the US Capitol. All of the 16 plans submitted were rejected. A late entry by William Thornton, amateur architect from the British West Indies, was accepted in fall 1792. President Washington liked it because of its "grandeur, simplicity and convenience."

The iron dome, also white, is surmounted by a statue of a woman representing Freedom, by the American sculptor Thomas Crawford.

The height of the Capitol from the baseline on the east front to the top of the statue is 287.5 ft (87.6 m).

Take a virtual tour of the US Capitol from the US Senate. You can learn more about the history of the Capitol from the Architect of the Capitol

State Symbols

State symbols represent things that are special to a particular state.

symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun

Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century

1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.