The United States commemorates Flag Day on June 14th. This day marks the adoption of the United States flag which took place on June 14th, 1777. Prior to this day, the U.S. had no official standard flag. Although there were variations of the flag we have today, there was no general consensus on the number of stripes on the flag. However, a resolution passed by the continental Congress promoted unity across the country by adopting one flag. This is the flag we see today. Flag Day coincides with the celebration of the birthday of the U.S. Army.
The U.S. flag consists of three primary colors, each with its own meaning. The color red is a symbol of valor, whereas white is a symbol of purity. The blue background symbolizes justice and the vigilance of the nation. The fifty stars on the top-left corner are a symbol of a divine goal. Also, they represent the fifty states that make up the country. On June 14th, 1777, Congress commissioned a committee to devise a seal for the young nation. This seal was required to embody the values of the founding fathers and signify the sovereignty of the nation. This resolution led to the adoption of the flag. Initially, the Continental Congress decided that the flag should have a total of thirteen alternating red and white stripes. They also decided that the flag should contain thirteen stars representing the thirteen states that made up the young nation.
The exact origin of the flag is shrouded in legend. The most popular legend states that the flag was made by a Philadelphia seamstress known as Betsy Ross. She designed the flag at the request of General George Washington. Washington wanted a flag that would embrace all colonies. Washington’s idea behind the flag was unity. He was no stranger to Philadelphia as it was in this region that delegates would meet. Betsy’s house was a few blocks from Congress. Also, she must have seen other founding fathers such as John Hancock or Benjamin Franklin. It was during this time, May and June of 1776, after the presentation of the Declaration of Independence to Congress by the committee of five on June 28th, 1776 that George Washington approached Betsy Ross to design the flag. Other key people who supposedly stopped by Betsy’s shop were Robert Morris and George Ross.
The Betsy Ross account is the most popular account concerning the history of the flag. However, there is no historical evidence supporting this legend. The first hint that Betsy Ross created the flag came from her grandson William Canby. He is the one who told her story and delivered a paper titled, “The History of the Flag of the United States,” to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Canby stated that his grandmother was involved in the making of the flag as early as 1776. Since the creation of the flag by Betsy, there was no definite guideline on the number of stripes and the pattern of the stars. Congress in 1777 did not set guidelines on the size, shape, order of the stripes, or arrangement of stars.
After the Declaration of Independence, the country still did not have a common flag. The Continental Army commonly used the red and white striped flag with the Union Jack. This flag was considered confusing due to the British Union Jack. The lack of historical documentation supporting Betsy Ross’ involvement or the use of the flag she designed during wars has been cited as one of the fundamental flaws of the legend. Alternatively, another school of thought associated the creation of the flag with Francis Hopkinson. Hopkinson was the New Jersey representative to the Continental Congress. He is the man behind a number of national signs such as the Great Seal of the U.S., the Treasury Seal, and the American Currency.
As the country expanded in states, so did the stars in the flag. In 1818, Congress passed a law that standardized the number of stripes on the flag. According to the law, the flag was required to have thirteen stripes with an additional star for each new state that joined the U.S. Originally, the flag had 13 stars representing the thirteen states that made up the young nation. However, the present version of the flag was adopted on July 4th, 1960 when Hawaii became the 50th State. When Hawaii and Alaska became part of the U.S. in 1960, then President, Dwight D. Eisenhower received over 1500 design proposals of the flag for consideration. The winning design is the current version of the flag. This flag was first hoisted at Fort McHenry on Independence Day in 1960.
The history of ‘flag birthday’ or Flag Day dates back to B.J Cigrand. He was a Kindergarten teacher at the Wisconsin Public School district 6 based in New York. On July 14th, 1885, Cigrand arranged for his students to celebrate a flag birthday. Cigrand continuously advocated for the observance of the holiday. In 1894, the Governor of New York directed for the flag to be hoisted in public buildings on June 14th. Inspired by the efforts of B.J. Cigrand and Leroy Van Hoy, the Illinois Foundation, or as it is otherwise known as the American Flag Day Association, was established for the purposes of promoting the flag’s birthday. On June 14th, 1894, Chicago held its first General Public School Children’s celebration of Flag Day. The event was held in Douglas, Lincoln, Humboldt, and Washington Parks. Over 300,000 children participated in the event. Since the time of B.J. Cigrand, Flag Birthday became a tradition. However, it was on May 30th, 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed July 14th as Flag Day. Years after Wilson’s proclamation, Congress declared July 14th as the national Flag Day. Congress made this decision on August 3rd, 1949 under President Truman.
However, several other people and organizations played an integral role in the establishment of a national Flag Day celebration. Some of these include:
Flag Day is not considered a public holiday. Therefore, businesses are open on this day. The holiday falls during the National Flag Week. During this week, Americans remember the foundations of the country’s freedom. The flag is an integral symbol of this hard-won freedom. It symbolizes unity and the American values of justice, liberty, and equality. People usually display the flag on National Flag Day. Also, there are flag-raising ceremonies which usually consist of the hoisting of the flag while people say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the Star-Spangled Banner. Patriotic activities are common on this day, for instance, musicals, school essay competitions, quizzes, and street parades.
The flag is hoisted on all government buildings on Flag Day. It is common for the President to make a speech urging people to observe July 14th as the day for the flag. Key sites such as Betsy Ross’ home and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore, Maryland, the place where Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem, tend to be centers of attraction during Flag Day. The National Flag Day Foundation plays an active role in the events that take place during this holiday. This organization coordinates activities in line with the event to keep the tradition alive. They host street parades and celebrations to commemorate the holiday. This year, there are already events in place in commemoration of the holiday. There is the 100th Anniversary Flag Day at Fort Monmouth as well as the National Flag Day celebrations that take place at Montclair.
Although Flag Day is celebrated nationally, it is only recognized legally in a few regions in the country such as Montour County, Pennsylvania. The holiday was not considered in the 1968 Uniform Holiday Act which established the federal holidays. Pennsylvania was the first state to observe the holiday when it was established. Washington boasts of having the oldest continuing parade during Flag Day (since 1909). The largest Flag Day celebrations tend to occur in New York with the possibility of attracting more than 50,000 spectators.
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