00:00 The United States has objects of state that are central to its functioning and are often treated as religious relics.

01:41 The Constitution of the United States was written on parchment, not hemp paper, and was a rush job completed over a weekend for the final signatures.

03:12 The original Constitution of the United States had a few errors and was not considered important after it was signed, but it was eventually found in a closet and is now housed in the National Archives.

04:44 The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence are displayed at the National Archive Rotunda during the day and stored in a vault that can withstand a nuclear blast at night, while the Star-Spangled Banner flag, which inspired the U.S. National Anthem, is owned by the Smithsonian Institute and on permanent display at the National Museum of American History.

06:16 The House of Representatives and the Senate each have their own special gavels, with the House gavel being used only for the election of the Speaker of the House, while the Senate gavel has a longer history and was donated by the government of India; in addition, certain desks in the Senate are reserved for senators from specific states, and the President has a traditional desk known as the Resolute Desk.

07:52 The Resolute Desk, made from the wood of the HMS Resolute, has been used in various locations in the White House and was first used in the Oval Office by John F. Kennedy; it has been used by every President since Jimmy Carter, and there have been a total of six different desks used by various presidents since President Taft created the modern West Wing; the ceremonial desk for the Vice President is the Theodore Roosevelt desk; when a President resigns, they submit their resignation letter to the Secretary of State because they are the keeper of the seal of the United States.

09:26 The current seal of the United States has been in use since 1904 and is used thousands of times each year to validate important documents.