On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the First
Flag Act: "Resolved: That the flag of the United States be made of
thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars,
white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." The exact design is frequently attributed to
Congressman Francis Hopkinson of Philadelphia.
However, when he petitioned Congress for payment of his idea, he was
turned down on the bases that others had contributed to the design. Today the first official US flag is referred
to as the Betsy Ross Flag (pictured). However, the
claim that she sewed the first flag has never been substantiated. Since the Betsy Ross Flag, the official
American flag has changed 26 times. With
the admission of Vermont and Kentucky, the second flag was approved in 1795. It
not only added a star but a strip for each of the new states. It is referred to as the Star Spangle Banner because it was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key during the
bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814. In
1818, with admission of 5 new states, the next change was made but it was
decided that only stars would be added and the strips would stay at 13 for the
original 13 colonies. Between 1819 and 1877
the flag changed 17 times with the longest continuous time for one flag being 10
years. During both the administration of
Presidents Monroe and Polk it changed 5 times.
In 1890 it jumped from 38 stars to 44 and then changed 4 more times by
1912. This flag stayed at 48 stars
for the next 47 years. Alaska added the
49th star in 1959 and Hawaii completed the present flag at 50 in
1960. Today National Flag Day is
celebrated on June 14th in commemoration of the First Flag Act. We can thank BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher from
Fredonia, WI for being behind the holiday.
In 1885, Cigrand started promoting June 14 as “Flag Birthday or Flag
Day”. However, even though localities
and some states picked up on honoring the day, it wasn’t until 1949 that
President Truman signed an Act of Congress making it a National holiday. Thursday, June 13, 2013
A Little History of Our Flag
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the First
Flag Act: "Resolved: That the flag of the United States be made of
thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars,
white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." The exact design is frequently attributed to
Congressman Francis Hopkinson of Philadelphia.
However, when he petitioned Congress for payment of his idea, he was
turned down on the bases that others had contributed to the design. Today the first official US flag is referred
to as the Betsy Ross Flag (pictured). However, the
claim that she sewed the first flag has never been substantiated. Since the Betsy Ross Flag, the official
American flag has changed 26 times. With
the admission of Vermont and Kentucky, the second flag was approved in 1795. It
not only added a star but a strip for each of the new states. It is referred to as the Star Spangle Banner because it was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key during the
bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814. In
1818, with admission of 5 new states, the next change was made but it was
decided that only stars would be added and the strips would stay at 13 for the
original 13 colonies. Between 1819 and 1877
the flag changed 17 times with the longest continuous time for one flag being 10
years. During both the administration of
Presidents Monroe and Polk it changed 5 times.
In 1890 it jumped from 38 stars to 44 and then changed 4 more times by
1912. This flag stayed at 48 stars
for the next 47 years. Alaska added the
49th star in 1959 and Hawaii completed the present flag at 50 in
1960. Today National Flag Day is
celebrated on June 14th in commemoration of the First Flag Act. We can thank BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher from
Fredonia, WI for being behind the holiday.
In 1885, Cigrand started promoting June 14 as “Flag Birthday or Flag
Day”. However, even though localities
and some states picked up on honoring the day, it wasn’t until 1949 that
President Truman signed an Act of Congress making it a National holiday. 
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