Flag Day – June 14 U.S. Flag Day. Other Countries Celebrate Their
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Flag Day – June 14 U.S. Flag Day. Other countries celebrate their respective flags on various dates. FYI: National Flag Week is June 14–20, 2020. Just for fun quiz: three colors on the United States flag. __________________________________________ five things you see in a parade. __________________________________________ four words that rhyme with grand. _________________________________________ The Story of the U.S. Flag The origins of Flag Day can be traced back to June 1975 when the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to create a unified colonial force to fight in the American Revolution. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, colonists were not united under a single flag but instead fought as independent regiments, each under its own flag. Examples of regiment flags include the iconic coiled rattlesnake with the refrain “Don’t Tread on Me” and one depicting a pine tree and a slogan that reads “An Appeal to Heaven.” To better organize and form a cohesive force, the Continental Colors were created. This became known as the “Grand Union Flag,” bearing 13 alternating red and white stripes and a British Union Jack in the canton. Some of the founding fathers felt this first design was too similar to the British flag at that time, and George Washington quickly came to believe that flying it was counterproductive to the revolutionary effort. Two years after the Grand Union Flag was created, the Second Continental Congress was busy drafting the Articles of Confederation. They took time out on June 14, 1777, to pass a resolution declaring that the flag of the United States would consist of 13 stripes, alternating red and white, and that the Union would be represented by 13 white stars upon a blue field. When Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross first sewed the Stars and Stripes flag, she placed the stars in a circle in the canton. In another version of the flag that was created for the U.S. Navy, the stars were arranged in five rows—three rows of three stars and two rows of two stars. Exactly who designed these flags remains a mystery, although legend holds that Betsy Ross made the first design upon direct request from George Washington. The design of the flag evolved through several versions over the course of a century. Then, on June 14, 1885, a Wisconsin schoolteacher named Bernard J. Cigrand displayed a 10-inch U.S. flag bearing 38 stars on his desk and asked his students to write essays about the flag’s significance. It was an isolated observance, but it marked the beginning of what would become nationwide recognition of Flag Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson made the holiday official by proclaiming June 14 as Flag Day. Three decades later in 1949, President Harry Truman signed an act of Congress designating June 14 as National Flag Day and called for the display of the flag on all federal government buildings. As we prepare to celebrate this year, let’s learn more about the American symbol we fondly refer to as “Old Glory.” Discussion Starters • Have you traditionally displayed the U.S. flag at a home where you lived? Can you estimate how many flags you have owned? • Do you observe Flag Day in any special way? • What is your fondest or most significant memory involving the U.S. flag? The Evolution of the Flag While it is not known with certainty who designed the first Stars and Stripes flag, some historians believe it was New Jersey Congressman Francis Hopkinson. The design turned out to be very adaptable and, therefore, well-suited to a fledgling republic that would expand greatly over the next two centuries. The star field, conceived initially to represent a “new constellation,” came to represent the number of states. In 1818, when there were 20 states, Congress enacted a new plan that changed the number of stars on the flag to 20 and called for the addition of one new star each time a state was admitted. At the same time, the number of stripes, which had expanded to 15 by 1795, was permanently set at 13 to represent the original colonies. By 1912, there were 48 states, and President Taft drafted an executive order establishing the proportions of the flag and calling for the arrangement of stars in six horizontal rows of eight. When the 49th and 50th states were admitted in 1959, two stars were added, and President Eisenhower issued an executive order providing the arrangement of stars as we see them today. Fun Facts and Proper Display • The nickname “Old Glory” originated with one specific U.S. flag owned by a Massachusetts sea captain who named it after the flag survived multiple attempts to deface it during the Civil War. • Some remote places where the flag has been placed include the North Pole (1909), Mount Everest (1963), and the surface of the moon (1969). • The current U.S. flag, bearing 50 stars and 13 stripes, was designed by a high school student in 1958. President Eisenhower selected the design of 17-year- old Robert G. Heft, of Lancaster, Ohio, from among 1,500 entries. • The flag can be washed or dry-cleaned if it is soiled, but torn or worn flags can no longer be repaired. Instead, they should be retired in a respectful way, such as a ceremonial burning. • The flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset and should be raised briskly and lowered ceremoniously. The flag should never be flown at night unless it is fully illuminated during all hours of darkness. • It should not be flown in inclement weather. • The flag should be displayed daily (weather permitting) on or near the main administration buildings of all public institutions and at schools on school days. It should also be displayed in or near every polling place on election days. • When displayed flat against a wall or window or in a vertical orientation, the union field of stars must appear in the upper left-hand corner to an observer. • The flag should never be allowed to touch anything beneath it. Trivia Q&A 1. What do the three colors of the U.S. symbolize? Answer: Red represents hardiness and valor; white embodies purity and innocence; and blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance, and justice. 2. What poem was inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over Baltimore’s Fort McHenry following a British bombardment in 1812? Who wrote the poem? Answer: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” written by Francis Scott Key. The poem became the United States’ national anthem in 1931. 3. When is it not considered a disrespectful form of protest to fly a U.S. flag upside down? Answer: According to the U.S. Flag Code, it can be flown upside down as an official distress signal. 4. Why are rugs and carpets featuring the Stars and Stripes barred by the Flag Code? Answer: Because the American flag must always be kept aloft and not touch anything beneath it. 5. In addition to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” what commonly recited written work was inspired by the flag? Answer: The Pledge of Allegiance, written in 1892 ©ActivityConnection.com .