Actually, the USA even had an earlier flag. It was designed in 1776. But instead of stripes,
it had the Union Jack (= the British flag) in the upper left corner. The Americans don't like
being reminded of this, because then they are also reminded of the fact that the USA used to
be a British colony. This flag was called the Grand Union flag.
Flag Day : The inhabitants of the USA celebrate their flag on June 14. Don't confuse this date with
Independence Day (July 4).
Nicknames : * "The Stars and Stripes" : This is of course and obvious and well-known nickname.
* "Old Glory" : There's a nice story connected to this nickname ...
Captain Stephen Driver was about to leave on one of his many voyages in 1831, when some
friends surprised him with a very special gift : a beautiful American flag of twenty-four stars.
The Captain was very happy with it. As the banner (= flag) opened to the ocean breeze for the
first time, he looked at it and exclaimed (= shouted) "Old Glory !"
The Captain retired six years later. He moved to Nashville (a city in Tennesssee, a state in the
south of the USA), taking his flag with him. It soon became very famous in town. Then the
Civil War broke out. This was a war about slavery between the northern states (who were
against it) and the southern states. The Tennessee soldiers wanted to destroy the Captain's
flag, which represented the WHOLE USA. But Captain Driver was pretty clever : he had
hidden the banner inside his bed cover. The soldiers couldn't find it and left angrily.
Later on, Union forces (= the army of the northern states) captured Nashville and they raised the American flag over the capitol (= an important political building). They had heard about
Captain Driver's flag and thought it would be a good idea to replace their banner with the
Captain's beloved flag. So they visited him and it turned out he was very enthusiastic about
the idea. Although the Captain was already sixty years old, he climbed up the tower of the
capitol and replaced the banner with the famous flag of twenty-four stars himself.
This is how "Old Glory" became even more famous.
Colours : There are various explanations for the colours of the American flag. This is the most common one :
* white : purity and innocence
* red : courage
* blue : vigilance (= "waakzaamheid") , perseverance (= "doorzettingsvermogen") and
justice
The Pledge of Allegiance : This is how the Americans show that they're loyal to their country and its flag. This is the text :
"I pledge allegiance to (= I am loyal to) the flag
of the United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands :
one nation under God, indivisible (= it can't be divided)
with liberty and justice for all."
The phrase "I pledge allegiance" is used in a lot of popsongs etc. nowadays as well.
Song : In 1814 a song was written about the flag. It was called "the Star-Spangled Banner" and it officially became the national anthem in 1931. Maybe you've already heard Jimi Hendricks' electric guitar version ?