The bald eagle

-chosen in 1782 as the emblem of the USA, officially adopted in 1787

-symbol of long life, strength, majesticism and it was believed to exist only in
North America
-represents freedom
-found on coins like the silver dollar and the quarter and the Seal of United States
-usually connected with the motto 'E pluribus unum' (Out of many, one)

It is said the eagle was used as a national emblem because, at one of the first battles of the
Revolution (which occurred early in the morning) the noise of the struggle awoke the
sleeping eagles on the heights and they flew from their nests and circled about over the
heads of the fighting men, all the while giving vent to their raucous cries. "They are shrieking
for Freedom," said the patriots.

The turkey
-known as the favourite American thanksgiving snack
-owes its popularity to nativeness to North America
-also a favourite meal in the tribes of the Native Americans
-Benjamin Franklin suggested it for the symbol of the country, because
'the eagle has a bad moral character while the turkey is a true native
bird and its bravery knows no bounds'

Franklin also suggested things like a rattlesnake, a phoenix or a twoheaded eagle and Moses for the symbol

Teddy bear
-America fell in love with the teddy bear in 1902 when the president
Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a captive bear while hunting
-Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman depicted the bear
incident in a cartoon and soon toy and novelty makers started creating
the toy bears in a wide variety of styles.
-Today, an estimated 2.5 million Americans collect teddy bears.
-Bears seem to have a personality that is safe, comforting and cuddly.

Little boys are allowed to love and cuddle teddy bears, where they have
been culturally conditioned not to play with dolls
-Teddy Bears were given out at the World Trade Center after the events
of 9/11.