Why was the American flag chosen?
The American flag was designed to represent the new union of the thirteen original states: it would have thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, and thirteen stars, white on a blue field. One of the first flags had the stars arranged in a circle, based on the idea that all colonies were equal.
What is the history behind the American flag?
The first American flag design was approved by Congress on June 14, 1777. It had 13 stripes, which represented the original 13 colonies of the United States. During the Civil War, the states of the Confederacy stopped flying the American flag and instead designed and flew their own flag, the Confederate Battle Flag.
How was the American flag designed?
Flag of the United States
Design | Thirteen horizontal stripes alternating red and white; in the canton, 50 white stars of alternating numbers of six and five per horizontal row on a blue field |
Designed by | Robert G. Heft (50-star version) |
What did the US flag look like in 1777?
On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution, which said that the flag would be made up of thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white, five-pointed stars on a blue field. Stars have been added to the flag as new states join the Union.
What did American flag look like in 1776?
1776 – On the first of January, The Grand Union Flag is flown on Prospect Hill and adopted as a symbol of the rebelling colonists. The flag, originally designed in 1775, features the British Union Jack in the upper left corner surrounded by thirteen white and red stripes, symbolizing the thirteen colonies.
What is the first flag in the world?
The oldest, continuously used national flag is that of Denmark. The current design of a white Scandinavian cross on a red back ground was adopted in 1625 and its square shape in 1748. In Denmark it is known as the ‘Dannebrog’ or ‘Danish cloth’.
Is upside down flag illegal?
The FBI rep said there is no law against flying the flag upside down. The Flag Code clearly states that the American flag is not to be flown upside down “except as a signal of dire distress in instance of extreme danger to life or property.”