Notably, Francis Hopkinson claimed he designed the first flag and Betsy Ross, because of her grandson, has been credited with constructing it. Historians remain skeptical. The flag has seen 27 different versions and countless variations since its official adoption June 14, As new states joined, corresponding stars were added to the flag. With few specifications in place, a variety of creative star arrangements were produced.
The U. In the upper hoist canton is a union of blue with fifty white five-pointed stars arranged in nine horizontal offset rows. There are a lot of varying color values in use due to the difficulty of interpreting Cable colors for digital screens. Red represents valor and bravery, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and the blue stands for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
The traditional meanings assigned to the colors may have arisen five years later, in , when Charles Thompson, the secretary of the Continental Congress, waxed poetic about the colors in the Great Seal of the United States, which he helped design. Thompson described the red in the seal as representing hardiness and valor; the white, purity and innocence; and the blue, vigilance, perseverance and justice.
As for the origin of the red-white-and-blue color scheme, it's likely no coincidence that the British flag bore the same three colors. Join today and get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life. In the landmark case Texas v. Johnson in , the Supreme Court ruled that desecrating the American flag is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment.
Prior to that ruling it was, indeed, illegal to burn the flag. Subsequent efforts on the judicial and legislative fronts to make flag burning illegal again have failed. The Flag Code is a set of flag etiquette guidelines developed in by the American Legion and other organizations. It was adopted as law by Congress in However, the Flag Code does not have an enforcement mechanism. There are no flag police. There is nothing illegal about the wearing or use of these items. According to the Flag Code, the American flag should never touch anything beneath it, including the ground, the floor or the water.
However, that's not necessarily the case. Flags should be destroyed only when they are no longer in good enough condition to be displayed. If touching the ground didn't render the flag unfit for display, then it shouldn't be destroyed. Once a flag is unfit for display, burning it is the preferred method of destruction.
Although it's customary to display the American flag from sunrise to sunset, the flag can be displayed 24 hours a day as long as it is illuminated through the night, according to the Flag Code.
When a flag is used to cover a coffin, it should be placed with the union — the blue field with stars — at the head and over the left shoulder.
The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground. Folding a flag into a triangle for storage, with only the blue union and stars visible, is part of tradition, said Hendricks, not a requirement of the Flag Code.
Flags on a staff are properly stored in an entirely different manner that doesn't involve folding. It's been properly stored. It has survived battles, inspired songs and evolved in response to the growth of the country it represents. The following is a collection of interesting facts and customs about the American flag and how it is to be displayed:.
Exclusive corporate sponsorship by:. Support Provided By: Learn More. The History of the American Flag. Origins The origin of the first American flag is unknown.
The name Old Glory was given to a large, byfoot flag by its owner, William Driver, a sea captain from Massachusetts. Driver was able to fly the flag over the Tennessee Statehouse once the war ended. The flag is a primary artifact at the National Museum of American History and was last displayed in Tennessee by permission of the Smithsonian at an exhibition in Between and Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state.
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