Posted on 06/14/2008 4:52:40 AM PDT by kellynla
Most U.S. school children grow up knowing the story of Betsy Ross, who may or may not have sewn the first American flag, based on a sketch given to her by George Washington.
But what about Francis Hopkinson, Mary Pickersgill or Samuel Reid, all of whom played roles in the history of the flag? Or Bernard Cigrand, who may have been the first to celebrate the birthday of the flag and led the movement to make Flag Day, June 14, a national observance?
In her lifetime, Ross herself never claimed to have sewn the first flag. Only in 1870 did a grandson, William Canby, circulate family stories crediting Ross as the originator of the design. Ross even is given credit for changing Washington's sketch of six-pointed stars to the five-pointed stars in use ever since. The organization which maintains the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia defends the plausibility of Canby's claim on behalf of his grandmother, but leaves room for doubt.
Unlike Ross, Francis Hopkinson was not shy about claiming credit. Hopkinson was a signer of the Declaration of Independence who was elected to Congress from New Jersey. In 1780, Hopkinson asserted that he had designed the American flag -- and billed the government for his work, asking for a "quarter cask of the public wine" as fair payment. He was never paid, but there is no record that his claim of having designed the flag was ever challenged, according to USFlag.org.
While it may never be possible to know if Ross, Hopkinson or someone else actually designed the first American flag, there seems to be little question about the man who deserves credit for the design of the flag as it flies today.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a resolution describing a flag with 13 alternating stripes of red and white, and a blue field with 13 stars "representing a new constellation." What was lacking was specificity. The resolution does not explain the shape of the flag, or the proportions, and it does not describe how the stars should be arranged to form that new constellation.
As a result, flags of varying design were flown in the early years of the United States. There is even a record of a flag with red, white and blue stripes. But the larger problem seems to have developed as states joined the union. In 1795, with the admission of Vermont and Kentucky, the flag grew to include 15 stripes and 15 stars, but that was not a pattern which could be sustained.
By 1814, the nation had grown to 18 states, but it was a 15-star, 15-stripe banner which Maryland flag-maker Mary Pickersgill sewed for Fort McHenry. It was Pickersgill's star spangled banner which flew over the fort during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814, inspiring Francis Scott Key to compose the song which became the National Anthem. Recently restored, the Pickersgill flag is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Finally, in 1818, Congress set the pattern which has been used for the flag ever since, using a design by Samuel Reid, a captain in the U. S. Navy. Reid suggested that the number of stripes be set at 13, representing the 13 original states, with stars added as states joined the union. The last change was made in 1960, after Hawaii was admitted and the field of stars grew to 50. The 48 years since is the longest time the flag has gone without a change.
While the nation has celebrated Independence Day since 1777 - the year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 - the idea to set aside a day to mark the birthday of the American flag seems to have originated more than a century later, in 1885. That's when schoolteacher George Cigrand had his pupils at the Stony Hill School in Waubeka, Wisc. write essays about the flag on June 14, the anniversary of the first congressional flag resolution.
The following year, Cigrand wrote an article for a Chicago newspaper, proposing Flag Day as a national holiday. It turned out to be a popular idea, and over the next 30 years Flag Day observances became widespread. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a Flag Day proclamation, and in 1949 President Harry Truman signed legislation officially designating June 14 as Flag Day.
Semper Fi, Kelly
President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Flag Day in 1916: “This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation.”
• The American flag has been altered 26 times since 1777, with the admission of states into the Union. The current 50-star flag was adopted July 4, 1960, a year after Hawaii became a state.
Thanks for the post. Mine is displayed 365.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
History of the Pledge of Allegiance
The original Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy. It was first given wide publicity through the official program of the National Public Schools Celebration of Columbus Day, which was printed in The Youth’s Companion of September 8, 1892, and at the same time sent out in leaflet form to schools throughout the country. School children first recited the Pledge of Allegiance this way:
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”
“The flag of the United States” replaced the words “my Flag” in 1923 because some foreign-born people might have in mind the flag of the country of their birth instead of the United States flag. A year later, “of America” was added after “United States.”
No form of the Pledge received official recognition by Congress until June 22, 1942, when the Pledge was formally included in the U.S. Flag Code. The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954, when Congress passed a law, which added the words “under God” after “one nation.”
Originally, the pledge was said with the right hand in the so-called “Bellamy Salute,” with the right hand resting first outward from the chest, then the arm extending out from the body. Once Hitler came to power in Europe, some Americans were concerned that this position of the arm and hand resembled the Nazi or Fascist salute. In 1942 Congress also established the current practice of rendering the pledge with the right hand over the heart.
The Flag Code specifies that any future changes to the pledge would have to be with the consent of the President.
http://www.legion.org/national/americanflag/flagcode
http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.html
Here’s a video I made last summer of Old Glory, Fireworks, & the music of John Philip Sousa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfRVLkxZlgg
What a night!
I grew up being told that I was somehow related to Betsy Ross, after much research I found out I wasn’t directly related to her but I’m a second cousin (a few times removed) to William Canby her nephew.
She led an interesting life and lost two husbands during the Revolution, she was certainly a Patriot!
http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flaglife.html
when i was in the Drum&Bugle Corp, It's a Grand Old Flag was the first song we learned...
Flag up....I wish more folks would remember this day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.