Today is Flag Day, which is in honor of the American symbol of patriotism, independence, and freedom. Here are some facts about the national observance day and the flag itself:
- National Flag Day is designated as June 14th. This day commemorates the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777, by the Second Continental Congress, which passed the Flag Act of 1777 to create an official flag for the new nation. The resolution stated that America’s flag “…be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.”
- In an earlier version of the flag, the thirteen stripes and stars each represented the original thirteen colonies. Those colonies, and the dates they ratified the Constitution and became a state, were:
- Delaware, December 7, 1787
- Pennsylvania, December 12,1787
- New Jersey, December 18, 1787
- Georgia, January 2, 1788
- Connecticut, January 9, 1788
- Massachusetts, February 6, 1788
- Maryland, April 28, 1788
- South Carolina, May 23, 1788
- New Hampshire, June 21, 1788
- Virginia, June 25, 1788
- New York, July 25, 1788
- North Carolina, November 21, 1789
- Rhode Island, May 29, 1790
- It was a 15-star, 15-stripe flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that later became known as the Star-Spangled Banner, after seeing it fly over Ft. McHenry during the War of 1812. The lyrics are set to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” a popular British drinking song.
- According to the United States Congress’s publication, Our Flag, the colors that give meaning to the Great Seal of the country also represent the same in the American flag:
“The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice.”
- In 1885, Bernard Cigrand, a small-town Wisconsin teacher, originated the idea for an annual flag day. The first national observance occurred June 14, 1877, the centennial of the original resolution.
- On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson officially established June 14 as Flag Day. In his proclamation, President Wilson stated, “It is the anniversary of the day upon which the flag of the United States was adopted by the Congress as the emblem of the Union.”
- In 1949, Congress resolved that “The 14th day of June of each year is hereby designated as Flag Day . . .” The resolution was signed into law by President Harry Truman. This permanently established it as a national holiday.
- Although Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, Pennsylvania became the first and only U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday. The Second Continental Congress originated in Philadelphia and had its initial meeting place at Independence Hall.
- Since 1777, the design of the flag has been officially modified 26 times. With the statehood of Hawaii, President Eisenhower ordered the 50-star flag on August 21, 1959.
- Most Americans believe that Betsy Ross made the first flag, and, although the evidence is compelling, it may not be historically accurate. Betsy Ross was an upholsterer by trade, and sewed many flags during the Revolutionary War, but there is no proof that she made the first Stars and Stripes.1
1 United States Congress. Our Flag. (Y 1.1/3:109-18)
Sources: https://www.history.com/news/95-years-of-flag-day, http://www.spangledwithstars.com/us-flag/national-flag-day.htm, https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-flag-day-june-14/, http://www.usflag.org, http://www.myphillyalive.com/blog/flag-day-events-in-philadelphia/