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History Of The America Flag
The United States Flag was first authorized by Congress June 14, 1777. (June 14th is observed as Flag Day throughout America.) The flag was first flown from
Fort Stanwix
on the site of the present city of Rome, New York, on August 3, 1777.
The First Flag of The USA
The first flag had thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, a star and a stripe for each state. In 1791 Vermont
was admitted to the Union, and in 1792 Kentucky was admitted to the Union so the number of stars and stripes
was raised to fifteen. As other states joined the Union it became obvious that there would soon be too many
stripes to fit onto the flag. In 1818 Congress enacted that the number of stripes be reduced and restricted
from this time forward to thirteen, representing the thirteen original states and that a star should be added
for each succeeding state.
The colors of the flag: red for valor, zeal and fervency; white for hope purity, cleanliness of life, and
rectitude of conduct; blue for the color of heaven, for reverence to God, loyalty, sincerity, justice and truth.
George Washington is credited with the following statement: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red
from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her,
and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty.”
Old Glory
The name "Old Glory" was coined by Captain Stephen Driver, a shipmaster of Salem, Massachusetts,
in 1831. As he was leaving on one of his many voyages aboard the brig CHARLES DOGGETT
some friends presented him with a beautiful flag of twenty four stars. As the banner opened to the
ocean breeze for the first time, he exclaimed "Old Glory!"
Betsy Ross
The Betsy Ross Flag
Betsy Ross sewed the flag, but it is thought that the flag was designed by
Francis Hopkinson, a New
Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The stars were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewed above another. It is reported that George
Washington said, "Let the 13 stars in a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens."
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Old Glory
