On June 14, we celebrate Flag Day. Community organizations, such as veterans groups, may sponsor writing contests to commemorate the day. Many Americans hoist the national colors on the day, and some may use the time around then for remembrances of the foundations of American freedom.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a resolution to adopt an official national banner for the United States. The resolution was simple.
Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.
Since the resolution did not specify a lot of detail, different flag makers interpreted the description differently. Some, for instance, laid out rows of stars on the blue field. Betsy Ross put the stars in a circle.
Thirteen-Star Flag Designs
Betsy Ross was an upholsterer in Philadelphia. In 1870, descendants of Ross advanced the story that she had designed the original stars and stripes. The story is that she approached George Washington, then commanding the Continental Army. She presented a drawing of her design, advocating for five-pointed, instead of six-pointed, stars. There is no documentary evidence to support the family tradition, and many historians reject it.
Whatever role Betsy Ross really played in influencing the design of the first American flag, it is her design that most Americans would think of for the 13-star flag. Though historians may disagree about when the new colors were first flown, they remained the official banner of the United States until 1795.
The design was changed to a 15-stripe, 15-star configuration when Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the Union. In 1818, Congress changed the design to a 20-star, 13-stripe configuration. From that time on, the number of stripes has remained 13, and the number of stars has changed to reflect the admission of new states.
Continental Union (Grand Union) Flag
Prior to the 1777 resolution, the de facto American flag was the Continental Union Flag, also known as the Colonial Colors or the Grand Union Flag. This was derived from the ensign flown by the Colonial Navy. It consists of the British Union Jack, in the upper left corner, with the familiar 13 red and white stripes.
Symbolism of the Flag
Stars and Stripes
Most Americans likely understand the symbolism of the stars and stripes. The thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies that separated from Great Britain.
The stars represent the states in the union. It has been the practice since 1818 that the design will change when a new state is admitted to the Union.
From 1795 to 1818, we had a 15-stripe design with 15 stars. In that time period, Congress did not adjust the number of stars or stripes for new states admitted to the Union. With the adoption of a 20-star design in 1818, the number of stripes returned to 13, and the stripes became fixed as a representation of the original colonies.
Colors
In 1782, the secretary of the Continental Congress offered the generally accepted explanation. White signifies purity and innocence. Red represents valor. Blue represents vigilance and justice.
George Washington also offered his interpretation of the flag’s symbolism. Washington suggested that the stars are symbolic of heaven. The red stripes represent our mother country, Britain, with the white stripes representing our separation from them. As such, the white stripes represented our liberty as Americans.
Flag Day Origins
Though Congress passed the resolution creating the 13-star design in 1777, it was much later that Flag Day was recognized. Teachers and other patriotic Americans advocated for a national Flag Day as early as 1861. Pennsylvania officially recognized such a day in 1937. The Elks prompted President Wilson to recognize the lodge’s celebrations in 1916. In 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress establishing Flag Day on June 14.
National Flag Week is the calendar week that includes June 14. The President typically issues a proclamation each year recognizing the week, as requested by the 1949 law establishing Flag Day.
