By JIM
PURCELL
The
American Flag means different things to different people. But, the history of
Old Glory is that it has been the unifying symbol of all of those who call
themselves ‘Americans’ in the United States since June 14, 1777. It was then
that the Continental Congress adopted an act establishing the official flag for
this new nation, which was still fighting for its independence during the
Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
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| The American Flag Today |
Though
Congress officially recognized an “American Flag” in 1777, that does not mean
it was the first one that Americans used to represent their new country.
Well
before Congress finally decided upon a flag, Americans were fighting a daunting
war with the British during the Revolution. And, in those days of warfare,
flags of nations were not decoration. They were standards that soldiers,
sailors and civilians rallied around. Many Americans came up with their own
flags before Congress decided upon one. However, that made things confusing for
soldiers and sailors especially, who could possibly get confused by some of the
many standards being flown on ships at sea or on battlefields across the 13
colonies.
IN THE
BEGINNING…
One of the
earliest American Flags was a standard with a white field, a green liberty tree
and the phrase “Appeal to Heaven” running along the top of the flag. American
ship in New England waters flew this standard as early as 1775.
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| U.S. Continental Navy ships flew this flag in 1775 |
In 1775,
the fledgling Continental Navy flew a flag of warning, which boldly featured a
snake on a field of white and red stripes, with the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me”
on it. Meanwhile, the famed Sons of Liberty, in Massachusetts, flew their own
flag, which featured a flag comprised of red and white stripes, also during
1775.
Many
variations of these flags were flown, representing this new idea of America,
until it was officially designated by the Congress. And, many of these prototype
American Flags featured combinations of aspects incorporated into other
American Flags. One version, called “The Grand Union Flag, which was part of
the Continental Colors of the Army in 1776, even incorporated Great Britain’s
Union Jack into its field where, normally, stars would reside in a blue field.
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| The 'Betsy Ross' Flag established in 1776 |
The story
of how the first Congressionally recognized American Flag was created is not
well-documented. The winning design did turn out to be the “Betsy Ross” Flag,
originally created in 1776.
It is
widely believed that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania resident Betsy Ross createdAmerica’s first standard. One account has the idea of the flag coming from
General of the Continental Army George Washington.
Meanwhile,
another origin of the American Flag, while still noting the contributions of
Betsy Ross, credited the original idea to New Jersey Continental Congress
Representative Francis Hopkinson.
CHANGES TO
THE FLAG
Whenever I
pass the American Flag, whether it is at home or somewhere in public, I don’t think
about how the flag has changed over the years, or how the idea of what the flag
is has changed since 1777.
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| The Guilford Flag from North Carolina |
There have
been exceptions to the rule when it came to officially sanctioned flags. During
1779, Scottish-born Continental Navy Captain John Paul Jones raised what he
called the “Serapis Flag” on the captured-British frigate Serapis.
There was
also the Guilford Courthouse Flag, which was raised by the North Carolina
militia in March 1781 in Greensboro.
After the
Revolutionary War’s end, with the addition of Vermont and Kentucky, a 15-star
flag was authorized by Congress. Later, in 1803, the U.S. even recognized an
“Indian Peace Flag.”
During
September 1804, two things happened of importance to the United States. The
first was that composer Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” and
the second was that the Easton Flag was recognized by the U.S. Congress. Though
it would not be until 1931 that Key’s ode to his nation was officially
recognized, the Easton Flag was retired by 1818.
Beyond
1818, the U.S. Flag largely remained in the style of the traditional Betsy Ross
Flag. Afterward, the flag would change with the addition of more states. By
1865, at the conclusion of the American Civil War, the U.S. Flag sported 36
stars in its blue field, with each star recognizing a state.
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| The US Indian Peace Flag |
During
World War I and II, there were 48 stars on the flag that flew over U.S. troops.
And, following the admission of Hawaii as a U.S. state, the flag was altered
its last time (so far) with the inclusion of its 50th star.
THE
MEANING OF THE FLAG
There are
any number of ways to view the American Flag. For me, it is far more than just
a standard or a decorative national statement. The American Flag, inherently,
represents the struggles and sacrifices of all those people through the course
of this nation’s history, who contributed to the American cause.
Certainly,
the United States has not been a perfect union, as it had to faces the terrible
reality of slavery, wars of injustice against Native Americans, and many things
that prove America, as a nation, is not unblemished.
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| The Sepias Flag flown by U.S. Navy Capt. John Paul Jones |
However,
the American system of government, though also not perfect, allows people to
change their fates, albeit sometimes it takes a while. This is impossible in
many nations across the globe. In America, someone can still have nothing one
day and the next find their fortune. Governmental laws are sometimes challenges,
for the better and worse.
Yet, in the final account, the United States remains
the freest nation offering the most possibilities for those who were born here
or who come here from other places.
