United States heraldry facts for kids
Heraldry in the United States is all about special symbols and designs, like coats of arms, that people and groups use to represent themselves. These traditions came to America with early settlers from Europe, especially from countries like England, Scotland, and Germany. Even though the United States is a republic and doesn't have kings or queens, many families and even some of the Founding Fathers (like George Washington) have used their own family coats of arms. Today, many Americans still use these symbols.
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How Arms Are Used
Most U.S. states use official seals as their main symbols, but the United States itself has a coat of arms. The U.S. Constitution says that the government cannot create titles of nobility (like "Duke" or "Baron"). Because of this, there are very few noble coats of arms in the country.
However, many private citizens, including some past presidents, have used coats of arms. These might be symbols they inherited from their families or ones given to them by other countries. Since there are no official rules for private coats of arms in the U.S., many people simply choose their own designs.
The Army's Heraldry Experts
The U.S. military has used heraldic symbols since the very beginning of the country. These symbols help identify different military groups and show their history. For a long time, there wasn't one main office in charge of all these designs.
In 1919, the Army started an office to coordinate and approve coats of arms and badges for its organizations. This program grew over time, especially after World War II. In 1949, the Army was asked to provide heraldic services for all military branches, including the Navy and Air Force.
The United States Army Institute of Heraldry was officially created in 1960. It's located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. This institute has about twenty civilian experts. Their main job is to create and manage official symbols for the Armed Forces and other U.S. government groups, like the President's office. This includes designing seals, medals, badges, flags, and other items. They also help the public with information about these official symbols.
State Symbols
Even though many states use seals, eighteen states have officially adopted their own coats of arms. For example, Puerto Rico has a coat of arms that was first given to it by the Spanish Crown way back in 1512. This old design also influenced Puerto Rico's official seal.
The flags of Maryland and the District of Columbia are special. They are called "heraldic banners" because their designs come directly from historical coats of arms of important individuals.
Private Heraldry
There are several private groups in the United States that work to keep heraldic traditions alive. Organizations like The American College of Heraldry help people design their own coats of arms and keep records of them.
If someone has English or Welsh family roots, they can pay the English College of Arms to create a coat of arms for them. Similarly, the Scottish Court of the Lord Lyon does this for people of Scottish descent. The Chief Herald of Ireland has also granted arms to Americans with Irish heritage.
A Look Back in Time
Heraldry has a long history in what is now the United States. Here are some key moments:
Early Settlements (16th & 17th Centuries)
- 1606: The Virginia Company of London, which started the colony of Virginia at Jamestown, was given official arms. These became Virginia's government coat of arms during the colonial period.
- 1614: The Dutch started the New Netherland settlement (which later became New York). They adopted official arms in 1630.
- 1634: Lord Baltimore gave his personal arms to the Maryland colony. These arms are still used today.
- 1643: Harvard College in Massachusetts started using its own arms.
- 1694: The College of William and Mary in Virginia, a royal school, was granted its own arms.
The Birth of a Nation (18th Century)
- 1776: The thirteen British colonies declared independence, forming the United States of America. Many of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence, including John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin, had their own family coats of arms.
- 1776-1780: Several new states adopted their own official arms, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and Massachusetts.
- 1782: The United States Congress adopted its official arms.
- 1788: President George Washington said that heraldry was not "unfriendly to the purest spirit of republicanism," meaning it fit well with American values.
Growth and Change (19th Century)
- Early 1800s: More states adopted their own arms, such as Maine (1820), Vermont (1821), Missouri (1822), and Michigan (1836).
- 1836: The Republic of Texas became a republic and later adopted official arms with a 'Lone Star'.
- 1898: The U.S. took over Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Both already had their own official arms, which continued to be used.
- 1898: The Army assigned arms to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Modern Heraldry (20th & 21st Centuries)
- Early 1900s: Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt used their family's ancestral Dutch arms.
- 1919: The U.S. Army created a special office for heraldry and a system for unit coats of arms.
- 1945: The US Army Air Force started its own system of unit emblems. When it became the US Air Force in 1947, President Truman gave it official arms.
- 1960: The Army's heraldry section was reorganized into The Institute of Heraldry, the main group for military symbols.
- 1961: The Irish government gave President John F. Kennedy a coat of arms.
- 1972: A new private organization, the American College of Heraldry, was established to continue promoting heraldry.
- 2011: The Lord Lyon granted corporate arms to Donald Trump for his golf course in Scotland. Donald Trump later became president in 2016.
- 2018: A coat of arms was designed for Meghan Markle after she married Prince Harry. The design included symbols reflecting her home state of California.
