THE American flag representing the freedoms we hold dear !!!!!!
History
of American Flag.
For more than
200 years, the American flag has been the symbol of our nation's strength and
unity. It's been a source of pride and inspiration for millions of citizens.
And the American Flag has been a prominent icon in our
national history. Here are the highlights of its unique past.
On January 1, 1776, the Continental Army was reorganized in accordance with a Congressional resolution which placed
American forces under George Washington's control. On tha New Year's Day the Continental Army was laying siege to
Boston which had been taken over by the Brtish Army. Washington ordered te Grand Union Flag hoisted above his base
at Pospect Hill. It hd 13 alternate red and white stripes and te British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner(the canton).
In May of 1776, Betsy Ross reported that she sewed the first American flag.
On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act:
"Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes , alternate red and white; that the union be thireen
stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."
Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape,design and arrangement of the flag and allowed
for additiona stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of eah new state.
- Act of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May
1795.
- Act of April 4, 1818 - 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.
- Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 - established
proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six
horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.
- Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 - provided for
the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered
horizontally and vertically.
- Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for
the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and
eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.
Today the flag:
consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The strripes represent the original 13 colonies,
the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolizes Hardiness & Valor, Red and White symbolizes
Purity and Innocence and Blue repesents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.