
The first act stated that “the flag of the US shall consist of 13 alternating stripes of red on white with 13 white stars on a blue field forming a new constellation. What it left out was the following: That flag came about on Jwhen congress passed the first of three major flag acts. Yet the continental congress still did not design a new American flag. From that moment on, we were fighting for our independence. 5 rows of alternating stars of 3 stars, 2 stars, 3 stars, 2 stars, 3 stars. However, you will also notice that they are 6 pointed stars. A slight difference from the 5 pointed star on the current flag. This would be the first use of the star pattern on an American flag and today you can see a copy of this flag hanging in front of Washington’s Headquarters at Valley Forge.Ī year later, on July 4, 1776, congress declared its independence from Great Britain. There are 13 stars arranged in a pattern known as the 3-2-3-2-3 pattern. Look familiar? As you can see, the entire field is BLUE.

The other flag that Washington took with him is known as the Washington’s Headquarters Flag. Remember, at this time we had not yet declared our Independence. It meant that we were fighting as 13 united colonies but under British Rule. However, notice that instead of stars on a blue field, we have the “Kings Colors” also known as the “Union Jack”. It uses the alternating red and white stripe pattern similar to the Sons of Liberty Flag only there are 13 stripes signifying the 13 colonies. The Grand Union or The Continental as it was called was the first flag under which continental soldiers fought. When he left Philadelphia, he took with him two flags. The Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia when a somewhat obscure militia Colonel from Virginia came forward in his uniform and volunteered to take command of the troops outside of Boston overlooking Boston Heights. In 1775, at the Beginning of the Revolution, Independence had not yet been declared. This may have been the pattern that contributed for the stripes on our flag. The pattern however was the same and it could be displayed either horizontally or vertically. They came up with a flag that looked similar to this only with less stripes. The Sons of Liberty began their protesting. The Son’s of Liberty were the original “Tea Party” members These are the guys that threw the chests of tea overboard into the Boston Harbour. The earliest use of stripes in flags in what was to become America is from the “Sons of Liberty” Flag. We have what’s known as the canton or blue field, the stars, and of course, the stripes. So let’s take a look at the components that make up our current US Flag.
#Flag with red and white stripes full#
It evolved from a protest, to a full blown revolution into a move for independence…and Our flag reflected the various stages of this. It did not start out as a movement for independence, but a movement to gain seats in Parliament. When we think of the American Revolution, we think of it in terms of its final form, as independence from Britain, but the American Revolution was a “work in progress”. Hello, I’m Terry Ruggles, join me as we recount the History of the American Flag. Did Betsy Ross truly design the first flag? Do the colors really stand for something significant? We will explore this and other myths. It has also been shrouded in legend and mystery for many years. In fact, it took from Januto August 21, 1960.


The flag went through many variations before becoming the flag we all know and love. It has been with us through our war times, our sad times, but also in times of our greatest joys and triumphs. It represents the freedom, dignity, and true meaning of being an American. The flag is so important that its history tells the story of America itself. The flag has been used to display our nationalism, as well as our rebellion, and everything else in between. It has been the inspiration for holidays, songs, poems, books, artwork and so much more. The American flag is a symbol known worldwide. Surviving over 200 years, the flag has both physically and symbolically grown and developed in times of both achievement and crisis. “Old Glory, Stars and Stripes, the Star Spangled Banner” - From its inception, the American flag has been an important part of our nation’s history. Tools and Resources for Online Students.
