What national emblem did Congress first approve in 1782 after beginning its design work in 1776?

Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States in 1782 after beginning its design work in 1776.

On July 4, 1776, the same day Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, Congress appointed its first committee to design a national seal. The new country needed an official emblem for authenticating treaties, proclamations, and other formal documents.

The final design took six years, involved three committees, and incorporated work by fourteen men. Congress approved the design on June 20, 1782, and the first brass die was made later that year. The seal’s obverse shows an eagle carrying an olive branch and arrows, while its reverse includes an unfinished pyramid and the Eye of Providence.

The Roman numerals MDCCLXXVI appear beneath the pyramid, identifying 1776 as the nation’s founding year. “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “Out of many, one,” appears on the seal and became a familiar national motto.