The Bald Eagle, our national symbol, is an American icon. The eagle first appeared on the Great Seal in 1782 after a years long effort to create the official seal of the newly independent nation. After three failed attempts by committees, that included such notaries as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, to create an acceptable seal for the nation, it took a single man, one Charles Thomson, the Secretary of Congress, to finally design the seal we know today, using elements from previous suggestions by the committees. Happy Independence Day!