The Flag
The Pledge of Allegiance
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.
Flag History
The American flag has been a symbol of our nation's unity for more than 200 years. It has been an inspiration and a source of great pride for millions.
June 14, 1777: The Continental Congress passed an Act to establish an official flag for the nation. The flag was to consist of thirteen stripes in red and white. Thirteen stars on a blue background was to represent a new constellation.
Historians believe that the first American flag was designed by Congressman Francis Hopkinson and sewn by a seamstress in Philadelphia by the name of Betsy Ross.
1777-1960: Several Acts were passed by Congress that changed the shape and design of the flag to include additional stars and stripes which represented the admission of each new state.
September 14, 1814: Francis Scott Key, an amateur poet, was so inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over Fort McHenry in Baltimore after a British bombardment that he wrote the anthem "The Defense of Fort McHenry". It officially became our national anthem in 1931.
1892: The flag inspired James B. Upham and Francis Bellamy to write the "Pledge of Allegiance". It was published for the first time in a magazine called "The Youth's Companion".
August 3, 1949: President Truman officially declared June 14th Flag day.
Today, the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes representing the original 13 colonies. The stripes alternate between red and white having seven red and six white. The stars represent the 50 states of the Union. Red symbolizes hardiness and valor. White, purity and innocence. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. The star symbolizes dominion and sovereignty.
The symbolism of the Flag was thus interpreted by Washington: "We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty."
