"13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S. Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner. The current design of the U.S. flag is its 27th; the design of the flag has been modified officially 26 times since 1777. The 48-star flag was in effect for 47 years until the 49-star version became official on July 4, 1959. The 50-star flag was ordered by the then president Eisenhower on August 21, 1959, and was adopted in July"
"was the Grand Union Flag, 13 alternating red and white stripes with the British Flag in the union. The Stars and Stripes received its first salute when John Paul Jones saluted France with 13 guns at Quiberon Bay in 1778 (the Stars and Stripes was not adopted as the national flag until 14 June 1777). The practice of firing one gun for each state in the union was not officially authorized until 1810, when the United States Department of War declared the number of rounds fired in the ""National Salute"" to be equivalent to the number of states—which, at the"
"flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. The Flag Act of 1794 () was signed into law by President George Washington on January 13, 1794. It changed the design of the flag to accommodate the admission into the Union of the states of Vermont and Kentucky. It provided for fifteen stripes as well as fifteen stars. This would be the only official flag of the United States not to have thirteen stripes. The Flag Act of 1818 () was"
"stars and stripes, approved by the United States Congress's Flag Act of 1794, represent Vermont and Kentucky's entrance into the Union. The stars are arranged in vertical rows, with five horizontal rows of stars, offset, each containing three stars. At the time, the practice of adding stripes (in addition to stars) with the induction of a new state had not yet been discontinued. The flag originally measured . Each of the fifteen stripes is wide, and each of the stars measures about in diameter. After the battle, the Armistead family occasionally gave away pieces of the flag as souvenirs and"
"within the span of a single year (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington in November 1889 and Idaho on July 3, 1890). This change has typically been the only change made with each revision of the flag since 1777, with the exception of changes in 1795 and 1818, which increased the number of stripes to 15 and then returned it to 13, respectively. As the exact pattern of stars was not specified prior to 1912, and the exact colors not specified prior to 1934, many of the historical U.S. national flags shown below are typical rather than official designs."
"The Grand Union Flag was the ""de facto"" first U.S. naval ensign. It was first raised aboard Continental Navy Commodore Esek Hopkins' flagship on the Delaware River on December 3, 1775; John Paul Jones, then the ship's senior lieutenant, personally claimed this honor. The current ""Stars and Stripes"" design was first adopted when the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777: """"Resolved,"" That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."" Subsequent flag acts have"
"enacted by Congress on April 4, 1818. It provided for the modern rule of having thirteen stripes to represent the original thirteen colonies and having the number of stars match the number of states. It also provided that subsequent changes in the number of stars be made on July 4, Independence Day. As the result of the lack of a Flag Act between 1794 and 1818, there were no official U.S. flags with sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen stars. No flag laws were enacted to accompany the admission of new states to the Union during this period. Flag Acts (United"
"in the magazine as well as in other magazines and newspapers to promote the holiday. On the third Saturday in June 1894, a public school children’s celebration of Flag Day took place in Chicago at Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks. More than 300,000 children participated, and the celebration was repeated the next year. From the late 1880s on, Cigrand spoke around the country promoting patriotism, respect for the flag, and the need for the annual observance of a flag day on June 14, the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes. He became"
"USS Stars and Stripes (1861) USS ""Stars and Stripes"" (1861) was a 407-ton steamer acquired by the U.S. Navy and put to use by the Union during the American Civil War. ""Stars and Stripes "" served the Union Navy primarily as a screw gunboat, and as a tugboat when necessary, in the blockade of the rivers and ports of the Confederate States of America. ""Stars and Stripes""—a screw steamer built at Mystic, Connecticut, by Charles Mallory as a speculation for C. S. Bushnell—was purchased by the Navy at New York City from C. S. Bushnell on 27 July 1861; was"
"established and designed in June 1777 during the Revolutionary War), the ""Stars and Bars"" design was approved by the committee. When the American Civil War broke out, the ""Stars and Bars"" caused confusion on the battlefield at the First Battle of Bull Run because of its similarity to the U.S. flag, especially when it was hanging limp, down on the flagstaff. The ""Stars and Bars"" was also criticized on ideological grounds for its resemblance to the U.S. flag. Many Confederates disliked the Stars and Bars, seeing it as symbolic of the centralized federal power the Confederate states were seceding from."
"1777. Although St. Leger reached Fort Ticonderoga in late September, he was too late to aid Burgoyne. The first official US flag was flown during battle on August 3, 1777, at Fort Schuyler. The Continental Congress adopted the following resolution on June 14, 1777: ""Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white, on a blue field, representing a new constellation."" There was a delay in displaying this flag. The resolution was not signed by the secretary of the Congress until September 3, though it was previously"
"a single five-pointed star known as ""La Estrella Solitaria"" (The Lone Star). The similar flag of Texas was introduced in 1839. The star and crescent used by the Ottoman Empire was shown with an eight-pointed stars in early forms (18th century), but was changed to a five-pointed star in the official flag in 1844. Numerous other national or regional flags adopted five-pointed star designs in the later 19th to early 20th century, including Venezuela (1859), Honduras (1866), Philippines (1898), Cuba (1902), Panama (1925) and Jordan (1928). The Flag of Minnesota and 1901 Maine Flag both utilized the 5-pointed design. The"
"and flag of the District of Columbia. It is also found on the Purple Heart. The notion that it inspired the design of the American flag dates to the celebratory and patriotic climate of the year 1877, which saw the publication of ""Washington: A Drama in Five Acts"", a drama in verse by the popular English poet Martin Farquhar Tupper. In it, Benjamin Franklin proclaims that the design of the Stars and Stripes was based on the coat of arms of George Washington. ""We, and not he—it was unknown to him,"" Franklin says, ""took up his coat of arms, and"
"a tradition. Working as a grade school teacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, in 1895, Bernard J. Cigrand held the first recognized formal observance of Flag Day at the Stony Hill School. The school has been restored, and a bust of Cigrand also honors him at the National Flag Day Americanism Center in Waubeka. From the late 1880s on, Cigrand spoke around the country promoting patriotism, respect for the flag, and the need for the annual observance of a flag day on June 14, the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes. He moved to Chicago to"
"preferred as the national flag. Remnants of Hopkinson's U.S. flag of seven white stripes can be found in the Great Seal of the United States and the President's seal. When Hopkinson was chairman of the Navy Board, his position was like that of today's Secretary of the Navy. The payment was not made, however, because it was determined he had already received a salary as a member of Congress. This contradicts the legend of the Betsy Ross flag, which suggests that she sewed the first Stars and Stripes flag by request of the government in the Spring of 1776. Furthermore,"
"to 13 so as to honor the original colonies. The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day) following admission of one or more new states. The most recent change, from 49 stars to 50, occurred in 1960 when the present design was chosen, after Hawaii gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska in January 1959 prompted the debut of a short-lived 49-star flag. Prior to the adoption of the 48-star flag in 1912, there was no official arrangement of the stars in the canton, although the U.S."
"Army and U.S. Navy used standardized designs. Throughout the 19th century there was an abundance of different star patterns, rectangular and circular. On July 4, 2007, the 50-star flag became the version of the flag in longest use, surpassing the 48-star flag that was used from 1912 to 1959. The U.S. flag was brought to the city of Canton (Guǎngzhōu) in China in 1784 by the merchant ship ""Empress of China"", which carried a cargo of ginseng. There it gained the designation ""Flower Flag"" (). According to a pseudonymous account first published in the ""Boston Courier"" and later retold by"
"to rumor, the Washington family coat of arms, shown in a 15th-century window of Selby Abbey, was the origin of the stars and stripes. In 1795, the number of stars and stripes was increased from 13 to 15 (to reflect the entry of Vermont and Kentucky as states of the Union). For a time the flag was not changed when subsequent states were admitted, probably because it was thought that this would cause too much clutter. It was the 15-star, 15-stripe flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write ""Defence of Fort M'Henry"", later known as ""The Star Spangled Banner"","
"of the Stars & Bars"". The OSB was unique in its understanding that as the original Confederate officers died, their male descendants had to carry on the purposes of the order. In 1976 the organization changed its name to ""The Military Order of the Stars & Bars"" at the 39th General Convention held in Memphis, Tennessee. They adopted the Confederate battle flag (the square ""Southern Cross"" incorporated into the second and third National Flags of the Confederate States of America, not to be confused with the ""Stars and Bars"" adopted as the first national flag) as the official insignia of"
"chaired by Secretary of State Earle Hodges, Hocker added ""ARKANSAS"" and rearranged the stars to one on top and two on bottom. This flag was adopted by the legislature on February 26, 1913. In 1923, the legislature added a fourth star, representing the Confederate States of America. This fourth star was originally placed so that there were two stars above the state name and two below; this was to include the Confederacy alongside Spain, France, and the United States. Since this disturbed the other two meanings of the original three stars, the legislature corrected this in 1924 by placing the"
"Stars & Stripes (America's Cup syndicate) Stars & Stripes (""Team Dennis Conner"") is the name of an America's Cup syndicate operated by Dennis Conner and its racing yachts. The name ""Stars & Stripes"" refers to the nickname often used for the flag of the United States. TDC was registered under the flag of the San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC). The well funded Sail America Foundation commissioned four 12 metre yachts to support a campaign led by Dennis Conner, representing the San Diego Yacht Club, to win back the America's Cup in the 1987 competition in Fremantle, Australia. The movie Wind"
"resembles the first congressionally proposed national flag of the Confederate States of America. Both flags were composed of a field of red, upon which a saltire (Saint Andrew's Cross) is laid, with a heraldic shield in the center of the flag. The primary differences in the flags are the addition of a center blue saltire, and an English ""Norman"" lion instead of a 13-pointed star on the shield in the Winchester flag. The Confederate congress failed to accept the flag proposal of the Joint Committee on Flag and Seal in April 1862, and went on to adopt the ""Stars and"
"History of the flags of the United States This article describes the evolution of the flag of the United States of America, as well as other flags used within the country, such as the flags of governmental agencies. There are also separate flags for embassies and boats. Since 1818, a star for each new state has been added to the flag on the Fourth of July immediately following each state's admission. In years which multiple states were admitted, the number of stars on the flag jumped correspondingly; the most pronounced example of this is 1890, when five states were admitted"
"unified the coat of arms, flag, and seal to use the new design. The flag was first flown at the commissioning of the two days later. The only changes have been to add more stars for new states; President Eisenhower issued on May 26, 1959 (effective July 4) to add a star for Alaska, and later issued on February 5, 1960 (again effective the following July 4) to add a 50th star for Hawaii. The design has not changed since. It is illegal to reproduce or sell the flag of the President pursuant to Title 18 of the United States"
"revised the design as new states joined the union. Denmark and the Netherlands were the first countries to salute the Grand Union flag, when by U.S. ships were returned by officials in the West Indies in late 1776: on Danish St. Croix in October, and on Dutch St. Eustatius in November. (Though later, the better documented St. Eustatius incident involving the is traditionally regarded as the ""first salute"".) France was the first country to salute the Stars and Stripes, when a fleet off the French mainland returned a gun salute by Captain John Paul Jones commanding on February 14, 1778."
"1783, after a U.S. soldier managed to rip down the British flag at Bowling Green and replace it with the Stars and Stripes — an apparently tough feat since the British had previously greased the flag pole. As the British boarded ships back to England, then-General George Washington triumphantly led the Continental Army through Manhattan down to Bowling Green and witness the last British troops sailing away from Lower Manhattan. The park is a teardrop-shaped plaza formed by the branching of Broadway as it nears Whitehall Street. The park is a fenced-in grassy area with benches that are popular lunchtime"
"The ""Stars and Bars"" flag was adopted March 4, 1861, in the first temporary national capital of Montgomery, Alabama, and raised over the dome of that first Confederate capitol. Marschall also designed the Confederate army uniform. A monument in Louisburg, North Carolina, claims the ""Stars and Bars"" ""was designed by a son of North Carolina / Orren Randolph Smith / and made under his direction by / Catherine Rebecca (Murphy) Winborne. / Forwarded to Montgomery, Ala. Feb 12, 1861, / Adopted by the Provisional Congress March 4, 1861"". One of the first acts of the Provisional Confederate Congress was to"
"defined in a Flag Act of 1818 to the effect that ""on the admission of every new state into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag""; it was changed for the last time in 1960 with the accession of Hawaii. A change in national flag is often due to a change of regime, especially following a civil war or revolution. In such cases, the military origins of the national flag and its connection to political ideology (form of government, monarchy vs. republic vs. theocracy, etc.) remains visible. In such cases national flags acquire the status"
"on the General Casimir Pulaski issue of 1931, though in a . The first U.S. postage stamp to feature the flag as the sole subject was issued July 4, 1957, Scott catalog number 1094. Since that time the flag has frequently appeared on U.S. stamps. In 1907 Eben Appleton, New York stockbroker and grandson of Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead (the commander of Fort McHenry during the 1814 bombardment) loaned the Star Spangled Banner Flag to the Smithsonian Institution, and in 1912 he converted the loan to a gift. Appleton donated the flag with the wish that it would always be"
"and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."" Flag Day is now observed on June 14 of each year. While scholars still argue about this, tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June 1777 by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment. The first official U.S. flag flown during battle was on August 3, 1777, at Fort Schuyler (Fort Stanwix) during the Siege of Fort Stanwix. Massachusetts reinforcements brought news of the adoption by Congress of the official flag to Fort Schuyler. Soldiers cut up their shirts to"
"to as ""the Confederate Flag"". They both have become a widely recognized symbol of the Southern United States. It is also known as the ""rebel flag"", ""Dixie flag"", and ""Southern cross"" and is often incorrectly referred to as ""the Stars and Bars"". The actual ""Stars and Bars"" is the first national flag, which used , and was in use by the Confederacy until mid-1863. As of the early 21st century, the ""rebel flag"" has become a highly divisive symbol in the United States. Right-wing political activists in the European Union, many of whom have separatist inclinations, have been known to"
"Flag,"" on the other hand, was little known by Texans, and no contemporary illustrations of it have been discovered except for on the first series 2 dollar note of the Texas Dollar. An 1837 chart of national flags printed in Philadelphia showed the Lone Star and Stripes as the national flag of Texas, and Texas Senator Oliver Jones, who led the 1839 committee which approved the Lone Star Flag, was unaware that the Lone Star and Stripes was not the current official flag. Later, prior to the American Civil War, this flag was carried by Floridian militiamen in Pensacola during"
"1777, establishing the first congressional standard for official United States ensigns. The shape and arrangement of the stars is not mentioned there were variations but the legal description gives the Ross flag legitimacy. ""Resolved,"" That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. In a 1780 letter to the Continental Board of Admiralty dealing with the Great Seal, Hopkinson mentioned patriotic designs he created in the past few years including ""the Flag of the United States of America."" He"