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Hooray for Flag Day
Why do we celebrate it on June 14?
by Beth Gabriel
What are the important dates in American Flag history?
January 1, 1776, George Washington ordered the Grand Union
flag hoisted above his base at Prospect Hill. It had 13
alternating red and white stripes and the British Union Jack (no
stars) in the upper left-hand corner.
May of 1776, Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag.
June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag
Act that stated that the new flag of the United States be made
of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be
thirteen white stars in a blue field.
Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that
changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and
allowed for additional stars and stripes to be added to reflect
the admission of each new state. May of 1795, 2 additional
stars and stripes were added for the states of Vermont &
Kentucky for a total of 15 stripes and 15 stars. This is the
only American flag that began with a white stripe at the top of
the flag.
April 4, 1818, this act provided for 13 stripes and one star
for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July
following the admission of each new state, signed by President
Monroe. The following states were added on July 4th for the
following years:
- 1818 - Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, 20 total stars
- 1819 - Illinois, 21 total stars
- 1820 - Alabama, Maine, 23 total stars
- 1822 - Missouri, 24 total stars
- 1836 -Arkansas, 25 total stars
- 1837 - Michigan, 26 total stars
- 1845 - Florida, 27 total stars
- 1846 - Texas, 28 total stars
- 1847 - Iowa, 29 total stars
- 1848 - Wisconsin, 30 total stars
- 1851 - California, 31 total stars
- 1858 - Minnesota, 32 total stars
- 1859 - Oregon, 33 total stars
- 1861 - Kansas, 34 total stars
- 1863 - West Virginia, 35 total stars
- 1865 - Nevada, 36 total stars
- 1867 - Nebraska, 37 total stars
- 1877 - Colorado, 38 total stars
- 1890 - North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, 43 total stars
- 1891 - Wyoming, 44 total stars
- 1896 - Utah, 45 total stars
- 1908 - Oklahoma, 46 total stars
- 1912 - New Mexico, Arizona, 48 total stars
June 24, 1912, by order of President Taft, proportions of the
flag were established that provided for arrangement of the stars
in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each
star to be upward.
January 3, 1959, by order of President Eisenhower, the flag
arrangement was changed to stars in seven rows of seven stars
each, staggered horizontally and vertically. This arrangement
allowed for Alaska, admitted on July 4, 1959, 49 total stars.
August 21, 1959, by order of President Eisenhower, the flag
arrangement was changed to stars in nine rows of stars staggered
horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically. This
arrangement allowed for Hawaii, admitted on July 4, 1960, 50
total stars.
What do the colors of red, white and blue stand for on the
American Flag?
Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven
red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original
13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The
colors of the flag are meaningful as well: Red stands for
Hardiness and Valor, White stands for Purity and Innocence and
Blue stands for Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.
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