SÍMBOLOS

Bandera

According to the Library of Congress’ webpage, the flag of the United States is commonly known as the “Stars and Stripes” or “Old Glory.” According to the United States Code, title 4, chapter 1, §1: «The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field.»

It is unknown whether Betsy Ross sewed the first flag created under this resolution; many historians view this story as a myth. The current 50-star flag is the 27th “edition” of the flag and the one that has been in use the longest, since 1960. In 1818, Congress passed a law stating that a new star be added for each new state; the 13 stripes would remain constant to represent the 13 colonies. (At the time this law was passed, the flag had 15 stripes; two stripes had been added to represent the first two states added to the union—Vermont and Kentucky.)

Normativa de uso

Public Law 94-344, known as the Federal Flag Code, contains rules for handling and displaying the U.S. flag. While the federal code contains no penalties for misusing the flag, states have their own flag codes and may impose penalties. The language of the federal code makes clear that the flag is a living symbol.

Sello

According to the United States Code, title 4, chapter 2, §41: «The seal heretofore used by the United States in Congress assembled is declared to be the seal of the United States».

The obverse depicts a bald eagle holding 13 olive branches in one talon and 13 arrows in the other. According to the Library of Congress’ webpage, the olive branch stands for the power to make peace, while the arrows stand for the power to make war.

(obverse / anverso)

(reverse / reverso)

The Secretary of State is the official custodian of the great seal of the United States. It is only attached (affixed) to certain documents, such as foreign treaties and presidential proclamations.

Himno

According to the United States Code, title 36, chapter 3, §301(a): «The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.»

According to the Library of Congress’ webpage, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to the anthem as a poem in 1814, after he witnessed the British Navy bombarding ships during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. The melody was “borrowed” from the tune of a popular British song. The song became the official national anthem in 1931, replacing several other songs commonly sung at public events.

Sobre la ejecución del himno.

According to the United States Code, title 36, chapter 3, §301(b): «During a rendition of the national anthem:

when the flag is displayed
- (A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
- (B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
- (C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.»

Letra y música.

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Una versión del himno de Estados Unidos puede escucharse aquí, cortesía de The United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus.

Otros

According to the United States Code, title 36, chapter 3 «National Anthem, motto, floral emblem, march and tree», other national symbols of the United States of America are:

the national motto, «In God we trust»
the national floral emblem, «the flower commonly know as the rose»
the national march, «the composition by John Phillip Sousa entitled ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever'»
the national tree, «the tree genus Quercus, commonly known as the oak tree»

According to the National Bison Legacy Act, Congress adopted the mammal commonly known as the ‘North American bison’ as the national mammal of the United States.

PRECEDENCIAS

The U.S. Order of Precedence is an advisory document maintained by the Ceremonials Division of the Office of the Chief of Protocol. The U.S. Order of Precedence is not the order of succession. For purposes of protocol, the U.S. Order of Precedence establishes the order and ranking of the United States leadership for official events at home and abroad, e.g. seating or speaking order. Although this document establishes a general order for the country’s highest-level positions, it does not include every positional title across the federal government. Offices of Protocol for the executive departments and independent agencies should be consulted for internal rankings regarding positions not listed.

For endnotes, appendices, and further explanation of positional rankings, please see the attached Order of Precedence here.

President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
Governor of a State1 – when in own state
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Chief Justice of the United States
a Former Presidents of the United States or their widows/widowers (by seniority of assuming office)
b Former Vice Presidents of the United States or their widows/widowers (by seniority of assuming
office)
a American Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to foreign governments – when at post
See also 29a in the order of precedence.
b American Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives or Representatives to international organizations
who hold Chief of Mission authority2 – when at post See also 29c in the order of precedence.
c American Chargé d’Affaires ad interim – when at post
Secretary of State
a President, United Nations General Assembly – when in session
b Secretary General of the United Nations – when at the United Nations
c President, United Nations General Assembly – when not in session
Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of foreign diplomatic missions
to the United States
(in order of presentation of credentials to the President of the United States)
a Associate Justices of the Supreme Court (ranked by date of appointment)
b Retired Chief Justices of the United States (ranked by date of appointment)
c Retired Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, unless they resigned (ranked by date of appointment)
The Cabinet (other than the Secretary of State), ranked according to date of establishment of the Department, and as added by the President(*), as follows:
a Secretary of the Treasury
b Secretary of Defense
c Attorney General
d Secretary of the Interior
e Secretary of Agriculture
f Secretary of Commerce
g Secretary of Labor
h Secretary of Health and Human Services
i Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
j Secretary of Transportation
k Secretary of Energy
l Secretary of Education
m Secretary of Veterans Affairs
n Secretary of Homeland Security
o Chief of Staff to the President*
p Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency* (EPA)
q Director, Office of Management and Budget* (OMB)
r Director of National Intelligence* (DNI)
s United States Trade Representative* (USTR)
t United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations*
u Chair, Council of Economic Advisors*
v Administrator, Small Business Administration* (SBA)
w Presidential Science Advisor and Director of Science and Technology Policy*
a President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate
b Senate Majority Leader
c Senate Minority Leader
d Senate Majority Whip
e Senate Minority Whip
f Senators (by length of service; if the same, by the state’s date of admission into the Union or alphabetically by state)
Governors of States1 – when outside their own states (Relative precedence among governors, all of whom are outside their own state, is determined by each state’s date of admission into the Union or alphabetically by state) See Appendix B.
a House Majority Leader
b House Minority Leader
c House Majority Whip
d House Minority Whip
e Members of the House of Representatives (by length of service; if the same, by the state’s date of
admission into the Union or alphabetically by state)
a Delegates or Resident Commissioners to the House of Representatives (non-voting members) from Territory of American Samoa, District of Columbia, Territory of Guam, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands (by length of service) See Appendix C.
b Governors of Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Territory of Guam, Territory of American Samoa, United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (ordered by territory’s date of entering U.S. jurisdiction or alphabetically by territory) See Appendix C.
a Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (also known as the “National Security Advisor”)
b Assistant to the President and Counselor to the President
c Assistants to the President and Deputy Chiefs of Staff (ranked by date of appointment, then alphabetically)
d Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Spouse of the President
e Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President
f Assistants to the President or Special Presidential Envoys who previously held Cabinet rank (ranked by date of appointment, then alphabetically)
g Senior Advisors to the President or Counselors to the President (ranked by date of appointment, then alphabetically)
h Chair, Council on Environmental Quality
i Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
j Chief of Protocol – when at the White House or accompanying the President
See also 29b in the order of precedence.
a American Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives or Representatives to international organizations
who do not hold Chief of Mission authority6 – when at post
See also 29d in the order of precedence.
b Chargé d’Affaires ad interim assigned to foreign diplomatic missions to the United States (in order of
date of assumption of this position)
a Former Secretaries of State (by seniority of assuming office)
b Former Cabinet Members (by seniority of assuming office)
c Former Senators (by leadership position, then length of service; if the same, by state’s admission into
the Union or alphabetically by state) See Appendix B.
d Former Governors of States – when in own state (ranked by seniority of assuming office)
e Former Governors of States – when outside their own states (relative precedence among governors, all of whom are outside their own states, is determined by each state’s date of admission into the Union or alphabetically by state) See Appendix B.
f Former Members of the House of Representatives (by leadership position, then length of service; if the same, by state’s admission into the Union or alphabetically by state) See Appendix B.
a Deputies to Members of the Cabinet, ranked according to date of establishment of the Department, and as added by the President(*), as follows: Deputy Secretary of State
b Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
c Deputy Secretary of Defense
d Deputy Attorney General
e Deputy Secretary of the Interior
f Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
g Deputy Secretary of Commerce
h Deputy Secretary of Labor
i Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
j Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
k Deputy Secretary of Transportation
l Deputy Secretary of Energy
m Deputy Secretary of Education
n Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
o Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
p Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency* (EPA)
q Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget* (OMB)
r Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (DNI)*
s Deputy United States Trade Representative* (USTR)
t Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations (USUN)*
u Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration*(SBA)
a Secretary of the Army
b Secretary of the Navy
c Secretary of the Air Force
d Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
a Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and Commissioner of Social Security of
the Social Security Administration (SSA)
b Heads of Federal Independent Agencies who are at Level II of the Executive Schedule (ranked by agency’s creation date; if the same, by length of service). See Appendix A. These agencies include, but are not limited to, the following: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) [Formerly Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)]
c Vice Chairman and Governors of the Federal Reserve System (by length of service)
d Deputy Commissioner, Social Security Administration (SSA)
e Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
f Deputy Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
g Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
h Deputy Heads of Federal Independent Agencies whom are at Level II of the Executive Schedule (ranked by agency’s creation date, when the same, by length of service). See Appendix A.
a Under Secretaries of State and Counselor of the Department of State (as ranked by State Department)
b Under Secretaries of Executive Departments, Treasurer of the United States, Associate Attorneys
General and Solicitor General (according to date of establishment of the Department; if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
c Heads of Federal Departmental Agencies that report to the head of an Executive Department (ranked by date of establishment of the Department; if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
These agencies include, but not limited to: Director of Foreign Assistance at the Department of State; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Secret Service (USSS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
a Retired Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff10
b Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
c Chief of Staff, Army; Commandant of the Marine Corps; Chief of Naval Operations; and Chief of Staff, Air Force, Chief of Space Operations (order is established by date of appointment)
d Chief, National Guard Bureau
e Commandant of the Coast Guard
f Combatant Commanders (order is established by date of assumption of command)
a Heads of Federal Independent Agencies who are at Level III of the Executive Schedule (ranked by agency’s creation date; when the same, by length of service) See Appendix A. These agencies include, but are not limited to, the following: U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), Export-Import Bank of the United States, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), General Services Administration (GSA), Peace Corps (PC), U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities (NFAH), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)
b Deputy Heads of Federal Independent Agencies who are at Level III of the Executive Schedule (ranked by agency’s creation date, when the same, by length of service). See Appendix A.
c Postmaster General
Lieutenant Governors – when in own State
Mayors of cities in U.S. States and the District of Columbia and in U.S. Territories – when in own city
a Heads of International Organizations (ranked by their date of establishment) – when not at post. These organizations are including, but not limited to, the following: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), PanAmerican Health Organization (PAHO), Organization of American States (OAS), World Bank, United Nations (UN)
b Ambassadors or Permanent Representatives of foreign governments accredited to international organizations headquartered in the United States
a American Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to foreign governments – on official business in the United States or another country (ranked by the oath of office) See also 7a in the order of precedence.
b Chief of Protocol – when at the Department of State or at events outside the White House See also 17k in the order of precedence.
c American Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives or Representatives to international organizations who hold Chief of Mission authority – on official business in the United States or when representing the United States at a meeting of their international organization away from post (ranked by the oath of office) See also 7b in the order of precedence.
d American Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives or Representatives to international organizations who do not hold Chief of Mission authority –on official business in the United States or when representing the United States at a meeting of their international organization away from post (ranked by the oath of office) See 18a in the order of precedence.
e Career Ambassadors
f Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Council Chief of Staff and Executive
Secretary
g Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Spouse of the Vice President
h Deputy Assistants to the President (ranked by date of appointment, then alphabetically)
i Executive Secretary of the National Space Council
a Chief Judges and Circuit Judges of the United States Courts of Appeals (by length of service)
b Chief Judges and District Judges, United States District Courts (by length of service)
c Chief Judges and Judges of the United States Court of Military Appeals
d Chief Judges and Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
e Chief Judge and Associate Judges, United States Tax Court
American Chargé d’Affaires ad interim – on official business in the United States or when representing the United States
Under Secretaries of the Department of the Army, Navy, and Air Force (by date of appointment)
a Assistant Secretaries (according to date of establishment of the Department, if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
b Chiefs of Staff to the Head of an Executive Department (according to date of establishment of the Department, if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
c Ambassadors at Large (according to date of establishment of the Department, if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
d Special Envoys/Representatives (according to date of establishment of the Department, if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
e Assistant Attorneys General (according to date of establishment of the Department, if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
f White House Social Secretary (unless previously listed above as a White House Commissioned Officer)
g Senior Directors of the National Security Council (ranked by date of appointment, then alphabetically)
h Legal Advisers of Executive Departments (according to date of establishment of the Department, if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
i Special Assistants to the President (ranked by date of appointment, then alphabetically)
j Heads of Federal Independent Agencies whom are at Level IV of the Executive Schedule (ranked by agency’s creation date, when the same, by length of service). See Appendix A.
k Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
l Deputy Heads of Federal Independent Agencies who are at Level IV of the Executive Schedule (ranked by agency’s creation date, when the same, by length of service). See Appendix A.
a Assistant Administrators, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
b Assistant Administrators, Agency for International Development (USAID)
c Assistant United States Trade Representatives (USTR)
d Associate Administrators, Small Business Administration (SBA)
a Comptroller General of the United States
b Members of the Council of Economic Advisers (ranked alphabetically)
c Members of the Council of Environmental Quality
American Ambassadors-designate (in the United States)15
a Mayors of cities in U.S. States– when not in own city (if multiple mayors present, rank by length of service)
b Mayor of the District of Columbia – when not in own city
c Mayors of cities in U.S. Territories – when not in own city (if multiple mayors present, rank by length of service)
a Vice Chief of Staff, Army; Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Vice Chief of Naval Operations; and Vice Chief of Staff, Air Force, Vice Chief Space Operations (by date of appointment)
b Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau
c Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard
d Assistant Secretaries and General Counsels of the Department of the Army, Navy, and Air Force (by
date of appointment)
e Four Star Military Officers – General or Admiral (in order of seniority; retired officers rank with but
after active duty officers)
f Executive Secretary, National Security Council (NSC)
g Officers of the U.S. Senate, including the following: the Chaplain, the Party Secretaries, the Secretary
of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms, and the Parliamentarian
h Officers of the U.S. House of Representatives, including the following: the Chaplain, the Chief
Administrative Officer, the Clerk of the House, and the Sergeant at Arms
39 a Three Star Military Officers – Lieutenant General, Vice Admiral (in order of seniority; retired officers rank after active duty members)
b State Senators – when in own state (ranked by length of service, when the same, by alphabetical order by surname)
c State Representatives – when in own state (ranked by length of service, when the same, by alphabetical order by surname)
d Former American Ambassadors/Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions (in order of presentation of credentials at first post)
a Chairmen or Heads of other federal Boards, Councils and Commissions not previously listed (ranked by creation date, when the same, by length of service)
b Librarian of Congress
c Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
d Chairman of the American Red Cross
e Deputy Chief of Protocol (ranked by date of appointment)
f Minister-rank officials assigned to foreign diplomatic missions
a Deputy Under Secretaries of Executive Departments (according to date of establishment of the Department; if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
b Principal Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Executive Departments (according to date of establishment of the Department; if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
c Deputy Counsels of Executive Departments (according to date of establishment of the Department; if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
d Two Star Military – Major General, Rear Admiral (in order of seniority; retired officers rank with but
after active duty officers)
a Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Executive Departments (according to date of establishment of the Department; if more than one from a Department, then as ranked within the Department)
b Deputy Assistant Secretaries and Deputy General Counsels of the Army, Navy and Air Force (by date of appointment)
c Directors of the National Security Council
d American Consuls General to foreign governments – at post
e American Deputy Chiefs of Mission – at post
f Deputy Permanent Representatives of foreign governments accredited to international organizations
headquartered in the United States – at post
g Assistant Chiefs of Protocol (ranked by date of appointment)
h Minister-Counselor-rank officials assigned to foreign diplomatic missions
a Chief Judge and Judges, United States Court of International Trade
b Chief Judge and Associate Judges, United States Court of Claims
a One Star Military – Brigadier Generals, Rear Admirals (in order of seniority; retired officers rank with but after active officers)
b Directors of Offices of Executive Departments (ranked by date of appointment)
c Consuls General of foreign governments accredited to the United States
d Counselor-rank officials assigned to foreign diplomatic missions
e Members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) not holding previously listed positions (by date of appointment, unless ranked differently as determined by the respective Executive Department)
f Members of other federal Boards, Councils, and Commissions not previously listed
g Desk Officers of Executive Departments
h First Secretary-rank officials assigned to foreign diplomatic missions

LEGISLACIÓN

United States Code. It is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives. Disponible aquí.

U. S. Public Law 94-344, Federal Flag Code. Disponible aquí.

Executive Order 10860 — Coat of arms, seal, and flag of the President of the United States. Disponible aquí.

DOCUMENTOS

Para facilidad de consulta, se anexan los siguientes documentos en pdf:

Guidelines for Display of the [U.S.] Flag. Disponible aquí.
The Order of Precedence of the United States of America (February 2022). Disponible aquí.

ENLACES DE INTERÉS

State Symbols USA is dedicated to promoting appreciation and conservation of our natural, historic, and cultural treasures through an interactive website providing information on state and national symbols & icons, cities, towns, parks, landmarks, historic markers, and historic and iconic figures. (https://statesymbolsusa.org/)

Estados Unidos de América