Grand Old Flag as a small poster but richer history
The Grand Old Flag famously denoted and known by the name American flag, since its adoption in 1777 has been a beloved symbol of the United States of America. This small poster aims to offer a glimpse into its rich history and contribute some of the key moments that have made it noteworthy.
Fireworks stars and stripes cookouts in time for family and friends. It’s how Americans typically celebrate their independence day on 4th of July. The American flag is the star of the day and it’s available in T-shirts, stickers and flags and it comes in all sorts of sizes. However all these celebrations are missing without knowing the different facts about the history and origin of the modern American flag design.Lets delve into the same.
The national flag of the United States is the twenty-seventh form of the national flag. A flag was required to represent the national cause and enlist people in the revolution when the thirteen colonies decided to break away from the British.
The first official flag was the Continental Colors, also denoted with the name the Grand Union Flag, which had thirteen red and white stripes and in the upper-left-hand corner the United Kingdom’s flag, also known as the canton. It was of the same design as the British East India Company flag that flew from 1701 to 1801. However, the British East India Company’s flag ranged from nine to thirteen red and white stripes and was mostly flown when it was sailing in the Indian Ocean. The Continental Army raised the flag until 1777.
Who designed the first Grand flag?
A well-known historical narrative centers around Elizabeth Griscom, better known as Betsy Ross, a prominent Philadelphia flag designer. This legend suggests that in June 1776, she was the individual responsible for crafting the inaugural official American flag. As the story goes, prominent figures in American history, including George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, convened at Betsy Ross’s residence to deliberate on the design of a national flag.
The initial design of the flag featured six-sided stars, symbolizing the thirteen colonies, set against a blue backdrop adorned with red and white stripes. It was during this meeting that Betsy Ross introduced the concept of using five-pointed stars in the flag’s design. Her skillful ability to swiftly cut these five-pointed stars left the three men in awe.
Impressed by her proficiency and the elegance of the proposed design, they entrusted Betsy Ross with the task of sewing the very first American flag. This historical anecdote is a captivating reminder of the creative minds and skilled artisans who contributed to the birth of our nation’s enduring symbol. It also serves as a source of inspiration for history enthusiasts and those seeking meaningful history gifts.
This belief came out with William J. Canby, Ross’ grandson when he presented this idea in 1870 to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and stated that his aunt, one of Ross’s daughters Clarissa Sydney Wilson, told him the story in 1857. However, there is no practical proof supporting or denying this belief of william.
The first flag resolution was passed by the Second Continental Congress on 14 June 1777.
This resolution officially included the Stars and Stripes as the national flag and states saying :
Resolved That the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.
The reason why June 14th is celebrated as Flag Day is because of this resolution. Since the resolution did not mention the arrangements of the stars, flags exist with a number of constellations. It is being said that Betsy Ross flag arranged the stars in a circular pattern to ensure that all colonies were EQUAL
Another person who claimed that he designed the Stars and Stripes of the national flag was Francis Hopkinson, signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey. The above resolution was taken from the Marine Committee, who had been referring to these guidelines for flags since July 4, 1776. Francis Hopkinson was chairman at the time of the Navy Board’s Middle Department which was under the Marine Committee when guidelines were established in 1776.
Why was red white and blue chosen for the Great flag?
Congress did not specify why red, white, and blue were chosen for the flag in their resolution. The only answer given was from Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress. In 1782, he combined the ideas and work from the three committees tasked with creating a National Seal. No original design from Thompson exists depicting this consolidated seal, however he wrote a detailed summary including the meanings behind the colors of the United States which stated :
The meaning of colors of the pales stand for the flag of the United States of America include White represents purity and innocence, Red for hardiness & valor, and Blue, the color of the Chief denotes vigilance, perseverance & justice.
Each state acted as a star
The second Flag Act was signed in 1794. In this resolution, two additional stars and two more stripes were added to the design, which represented the addition of Vermont and Kentucky to the Union. This flag remained in use even when five more states were admitted to the Union. The third Flag Act was signed in 1818 that began the action of adding another star to the flag after each state’s admission into the Union. In addition, this act decreased the number of stripes from fifteen to thirteen.
The present American flag proudly displays fifty stars and has remained unchanged since the inclusion of Alaska and Hawaii into the Union in 1959. This enduring design represents the longest-standing version of the Grand flag and makes for a remarkable choice when selecting gifts for history buffs.
