"THE
FLAG OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"
The Stars and Stripes is the most popular name for the
red, white, and blue national flag of the United States.
No one knows where this name came from, but we do know
the origin of several other names. Francis Scott Key
first called the U.S. flag the Star-Spangled Banner in
1814 when he wrote the poem that became the national
anthem. William Driver, a sea captain gave the name
Old Glory to the U.S. flag in 1824.
The Stars and Stripes stands for the land, the people, the
government, and the ideals of the United States, no matter
when or where it is displayed.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress resolved that
"the
Flag of the united states be 13 stripes alternate red and
white, and the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field,
representing a new constellation."
The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose
red, white, and blue as the colors for the flag. But in
1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same
colors for the newly designed Great Seal of the United States.
The resolution on the seal listed meanings for the colors.
RED is for hardiness and courage,
WHITE for purity and innocence,
and BLUE for vigilance, perseverance, and
justice.
The Stripes in the flag stand for the thirteen original
colonies. The Stars: the resolution passed by Congress in
1777 stated that the flag should have 13 stars. But
Congress did not indicate how the stars should be arranged.
A flag with 13 stars in a circle is often associated with
the period. There is also no historical basis for
assigning each star to a particular state.
In the United States, the national flag should be displayed
every day except when weather conditions are severe enough
to damage the flag. The flag is customarily displayed from
sunrise to sunset, but it is not illegal to fly the flag 24
hours a day. When flown at night, it should be
spotlighted.
Flag Day
Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 in memory of the day in 1777
when the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as
the official flag of the United States. It is not an official
national holiday, but the President proclaims a public Flag Day
observance every year. In Pennsylvania, Flag Day is a legal
holiday.
On Flag Day, people in the United States display the flag on
their homes, businesses, and public buildings. Some schools honor
the flag with special programs that may feature discussions of
the flag's origin and meaning. Many patriotic organizations hold
parades and other Flag Day demonstrations.
Flag Day was first officially observed in 1877 to celebrate the
100th anniversary of the selection of the flag. Congress
requested all public buildings to fly the flag on June 14 of that
year. Some people suggested that Flag Day be observed each year.
Early leaders of campaigns to establish Flag Day as an annual
national celebration included William T. Kerr of Pittsburgh and
Bernard J. Cigrand of Waubeka, Wis. In 1897, the governor of New
York proclaimed a Flag Day celebration for the first time as an
annual event in that state. President Woodrow Wilson established
Flag Day as an annual national celebration in his proclamation
issued on May 30, 1916. In 1949, President Harry S. Truman
officially recognized June 14 as Flag Day by signing the National
Flag Day Bill.
from World Book Encyclopedia
Teach America to Pray
May our good land be true and just,
Her motto e'er "In God We Trust"
May she be guided by Thy Word,
Thy wisdom in her walls be heard.
May all who love her plead today,
Lord, teach America to Pray!
And as her flag unfurls on high
Its starry splendor to the sky,
May we, in grateful thanks to Thee
Who gave to us this land so free,
Preserve her freedom in Thy way.
Lord, teach America to Pray
~Written by Edith A. Wilsey~
Pledge of Allegiance is a solemn promise of loyalty to the United
States. It reads:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of
America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
World Book tells
us that the Public-school children first recited the pledge as
they saluted the flag during the National School Celebration held
in 1892 to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of
America. The original pledge was probably written by Francis
Bellamy (1855-1931), though some scholars believe James B. Upham
(1845-1905) wrote the pledge. Both men were from Boston and
worked for The Youth's Companion. The National Flag Conferences
of the American Legion expanded the original wording in 1923 and
1924. In 1942, Congress made the pledge part of its code for the
use of the flag. In 1954, it added the words "under
God."
Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag.
Who designed the flag?
Betsy Ross sewed it, but who designed it? The answer, according
to the experts at the Betsy Ross house, is that it was possibly
designed by Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the
Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of
Independence.
Why are the stars in a circle?
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."
GOD'S FLAG
I
recall those bygone days
and those sunsets I have seen,
With our nations colors,
proudly lighting up the scene
Painted by the same hand,
that created heaven and Earth,
The God of our fathers,
also gave this nation birth.
He helped our founding fathers,
guided their hand upon the pen.
Then when we designed a flag,
He helped them once again.
He said to look toward heaven,
and there it could be found,
the symbol of our nation,
which today is world renowned.
So they placed heavens brightest stars,
against a sky of blue.
Took the whitest clouds
and laced the red of sunset through.
So simply look toward heaven,
to see our flag up in the sky.
For God himself displays it,
He is waving it on high.
Jerry W. Wallace
Flag of the Free
Look at the flag
as it floats on high,
Streaming aloft in the clear, blue sky,
Rippling, leaping, tugging away,
Gay as the sunshine, bright as the day,
Throbbing with life, where the world may see-
Flag of our country, flag of the free!
What do we see in the flag on high,
That we bare our heads as it passes by,
That we thrill with pride, our hearts beat fast,
And we cheer and cheer as the flag goes past-
The flag that waves for you and me-
Flag of our country, flag of the free?
We see in the flag a nation's might.
The pledge of a safeguard day and night,
Of a watchful eye and a powerful arm
That guard the nation's homes from harm.
Of a strong defense on land and sea-
Flag of our country, flag of the free!
We see in the flag a union grand,
A brotherhood of heart and hand,
A pledge of love and a stirring call
To live our lives fro the good of us all-
Helpful and just and true to thee,
Flag of our country, flag of the free!
Flutter, dear flag, o'er the lands and seas!
Fling out your stars and your stripes to the breeze,
Righting all wrongs, dispelling all fear,
Guarding the land that we cherish so dear,
And the God of our fathers, abiding with thee,
Will bless you and trust you, O flag of the free!
-Walter Taylor Field
"We
take the stars and blue union from heaven, the red from our
mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing we
have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to
posterity representing liberty."
-George Washington
How To Display the
U.S. Flag
For guidance to the traditions and laws of flag display, contact
your local veterans organizations and service organizations such
as American
Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars and Elks Clubs
Proper Disposal of
Old U.S. Flags
U.S. Flags should not be simply thrown into the trash. By long
standing tradition, there is a simple and dignified procedure to
dispose of U.S. Flags. The Elks, American Legion, VFW, and other
veterans organizations provide instructions on the disposal of
old, worn, and damaged U.S. Flags along with guidance on flag
display.
Legal Protection of
the U.S. Flag
The Citizens Flag Alliance seeks to restore legal power of the 50
U.S. States to protect the "flag from purposeful acts of
mutilation, defacement, trampling, or burning"Citizens
Flag Alliance, Inc.
Also see Flags
of Freedom Foundation, Inc.
Evolution of the United States Flag
U.S. Flag (historical review of the flags
About: Flag Day (Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
President proclaims Flag Day (June 10, 1997)
U.S. Flag and Flagpole Supply (online flag sales)
Bill of Rights Day - Where in the U.S.A. 24 county and municipal governments in 15 states and one state now recognize Dec. 15, 1791 as Bill of Rights Day and the list is growing.
Flags of Freedom Foundation, Inc.