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A History of the Presidential Seal - Photo 1

A History of the Presidential Seal - Photo 1

This is a preliminary 1782 version of the Great Seal of the United States by Charles Thomson, the Secretary of Congress. William Barton also made some changes to the design, such as making the stripes vertical, spreading the eagle's wings outward and upward, and using 13 arrows to represent the thirteen states.

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National Archives and Records Administration

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