Statue of Freedom (by Thomas Crawford, ca. 1813-1857) is a bronze statue of a female allegorical figure crowning the Capitol dome.

Details from this highlight:

• A sheathed sword in her right hand
• A wreath of victory and the shield of the United States with thirteen stripes
• A brooch inscribed with "U.S."
• The traditional national motto: E Pluribus Unum ("From Many, One", or, "Unite")¹ on the cast-iron globe base

^1. In addition to the Statue of Freedom, E Pluribus Unum is also found on the Great Seal of the United States and the Seal of the President, among other U.S. seals and denominations of the U.S. currency.  It was considered a de facto motto of the United States until 1956, when the U.S. Congress passed an act adopting In God We Trust as the official motto.

©2008 Jinmin Zhou