The History of the American Flag
Steve Doorlag
The US flag is one of the world’s most famous flags. Not only because of the design but also all the history behind it.
Since 1777 the US flag has been changed multiple times. There has also been multiple designers of the flag.
The history of the American Flag is fascinating by surviving battles, growing with our country, and always flying high above all else.
Throughout the article, we’ll take a deeper look into the history and interesting facts about the US flag.
With that said let’s get into it!
Brief History Of The American Flag
Nobody knows for sure who designed the very first American flag but it’s believed to be by New Jersey Congressman Francis Hopkins and sewn by Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross.
The flag has been given the name “Old Glory” by a sea captain by the name of William Driver. Ever since that day, the flag has continued to be called “Old Glory” by others all over the nation.
On August 3rd, 1949, President Truman officially declared June 14th as flag day.
The Design
The US flag has a very simple but well-thought-out design.
For starters, the flag consists of 13 stripes, 7 red, and 6 white. In the upper left-hand corner is a blue square that has 50 white stars even placed throughout.
Each part of the design has a meaning behind it.
Symbolization
Every detail about the US flag has had careful thought behind it.
For starters, there are exactly 13 stripes that alternate between red and white. These 13 stripes represent each of the original 13 colonies.
There are also 50 white stars which symbolize each of the 50 states.
The colors Red, White, And Blue also have meaning behind them.
Red stands for hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity, and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
Origin
The US flag began as just an idea and has now become one of the world’s most famous flags.
It’s believed that Francis Hopkins was the mastermind behind the original flag while Betsy Ross sewed it.
Since then the flag has been changed multiple times. The most recent update was in 1958 by a high school student by the name of Rober G. Heft.
He submitted the flag design for a school project and it ended up becoming the official US flag.
Believe it or not, he received a C on the project.
Significant Locations
Since the flag was created, it’s traveled the globe and beyond.
In 1909, Robert Peary placed an American flag right on the North Pole.
In 1963, Barry Bishop placed the first-ever American flag on the summit of Mount Everest.
One of the more acknowledged placements was by Neil Armstrong when he placed the American flag on the moon in 1969 during the Apollo program.
The very first time the American flag flew overseas was in 1805. It was flown over a foreign fort in Libya.
Final Thoughts
The American flag is more than just some stars and stripe. It holds all the history of what the US has fought for.
Its been held high above battles, history, and even made it to the moon.
Being on the world’s most famous flags in the world, it’s understandable why it receives the respect it does.
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