Like our country, our American Flag has a history! American Soldiers carried all kinds of flags during the Revolutionary War! One of the most famous was the bright yellow Gadsden flag. The rattlesnake on it was ready to strike…for freedom!
On June 14 ,1777, the Continental Congress voted for a new national flag. It had 13 stripes and a constellation of 13 white stars in a blue rectangle. But Congress didn’t say how the stars should be arranged, or how many points they should have, or even which way to order the colored stripes.
The new American flag became known as the Stars and Stripes.
After the American Revolution, more and more states joined the nation. By 1795, the flag had15 stars and stripes. By 1818, there were 20 states. The flag was getting too big….something had to be done!
On April 4, 1818, Congress voted to go back to using 13 stripes. They would represent the original 13 colonies. Then, every 4th of July, a star would be added for any new state added that year.
In 1912, a presidential order said that all American flags should be made the same way. The stars should have 5 points. They should be arranged in horizontal rows. Since we now have 50 states, these rows are staggered. There are five rows with six stars each and four rows with five stars each.
In 1952, President Harry Truman officially made June 14th flag day!
Tomorrow is Flag Day….the Flag is very much a part of our daily lives. We should always respect it because it represents everything we are as Americans – everything we hope to be!
Please stand and join me in reciting the Pledge of Allegance! Thank you for your attention and Participation!
Elaine Podnar, Auxiliary Americanism Chairman,
June 13, 2019