<p>The US was either created in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence or 1789 with the US Consittution.</p>
<p>They weren’t literal shields. They were “crests.” Even for Cambridge I don’t think anybody went into battle with a giant Cambridge shield…</p>
<p>Traditionally, from the middle ages, they were drawn on shields.</p>
<p>Why do old US schools have crests?</p>
<p>TRADITION…TRADITION! TRADITION. <em>Fiddler on the Roof music plays on</em></p>
<p>All courtesy of the guys at Oxford and Cambridge. Plus, these schools were founded before the American Revolution.</p>