History of the American Flag
A flag is an important part of a nation’s identity. Today, there are over 195 independent countries in the world. Each country has a flag that represents its identity. The American flag is a unique symbol of the U.S long history. Do you want to know about the history of the American flag? If yes, you are in the right place. Read on!
June 14th, 1777 – An Important Day for America
The U.S was not always a free country. It was part of the British colony. Once the American people decided to get independence from the British, the creation of the American flag took place.
On June 14th, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a resolution and agreed that the American people deserve to have their own flag. No doubt, this was a key step in the U.S history.
While the flag has changed from time to time, it has always been a great symbol for America and its people. The first American flag had 13 stripes, alternate white and red. It also had 13 white stars in a blue field that represented a new Constellation.
The Design of the American Flag
You may be wondering what the first American flag looked like in the 18th century. In its first years, the American flag was designed to have 13 stripes, white and red, to be exact. They decided the final design to have 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes. There would be a blue field in the top corner of the flag with 13 stars.
The flag colors have always been blue, white, and red since its very start. The white color in the flag is a symbol of peace, purity, and innocence. The red color stands for bravery, courage, and revolution. The blue color represents different symbols, including freedom, justice, harmony, and care.
The flag was designed and created with all these different symbols in mind and the purpose was to represent the citizens of the U.S. Between 1777 and 1960, the American flag was re-designed.
Over time, the U.S invited new states to join America. When this happened, the flag would undergo a change in its design, especially in the blue field where another start would be added for the new state.
Today, there are 50 starts in the American flag and each star represents a state of the country. The flag has the same 13 stripes, which represent the 13 colonies.
Who Made the American Flag?
Historians believe that Francis Hopkins, a congressman of New Jersey designed the first American flag. It is believed that Betsy Ross, a woman from Philadelphia sew the first American flag.
Since its creation, the flag has been re-designed and re-created as well as sold to millions of people around the world. Americans love their flag and even today, thousands of people buy it. Just a few years ago in 2016, Americans spent over 4 million dollars to buy flags.
Wrapping Up!
The American flag represents the incredible history of the United States and its people. Because the flag is important to our history, we must treat it with respect. People in the U.S must follow the rules associated with the American flag.
Author: George Morris
A true American that was born in Bend, Oregon with family roots that cover our great Nation. Proud to be an American and live in the land of the free and the home of the brave!