The History of the American Flag

The original US flag, with 13 stars and 13 stripes, is supposedly made by Betsy Ross.

1. Origin: When and where does the US flag originate?

- Through my research, I found that the idea for the first US flag originated in 1777, when the Continental Congress established a flag for their new nation. This first flag had 13 red and white alternating stripes, along with 13 white stars in a blue background. I learned that the creation of the first flag is a mystery, from design to creation, but that many believe that Francis Hopkinson, a Congressman from New Jersey had the original idea for the design. The origin of how it was created is unknown as well, but a commonly told story is that Betsy Ross, a seamstress in Philadelphia, was the person who first sewed it.

2. Evolution: When and why has it evolved? Note eras of significant and permanent change. Note the lack of any big change, if you find that's the case.

- I have gathered that the flag has evolved primarily because of the addition of states to the US. With each new state, the flag gained a new white star, until it became the 50 stars that it is currently. The stripes were changed initially, but haven't been altered since 1818, and the 13 red and white stripes have been kept constant since then. I also saw different battle flags and special-occasion flags that have been made over the years, but for the most part, the flag has been comprised of red and white stripes, along with white stars on a blue background since 1776.

3. Design Elements/Choices: What factors have shaped the look of the flag, including the shapes, colors, and arrangements of stars, stripes, red, white, blue, etc.? Is there a history and purpose to these graphic design choices?

- As new states were formed, stars and stripes were added to the flag to reflect each new state. The current US flag has 13 stripes, each representing one of the original 13 colonies, and 50 stars, each representing one of the 50 states. The colors in the flag (red, white, and blue) could be important as well. I learned that red might be used to signify hardiness and valor, that white could represent purity and innocence, and that blue might symbolize vigilance, perseverance, and justice. In addition, I found that the stars on the flag might represent the heavens and a goal of aspiration, while the stripes could represent the rays of light coming from the sun. Much of this imagery and symbolization is only speculation, but it is good to keep in mind that the creators of all the different US flags might have thought about some of these representations when designing them.

4. Meaning: 

• For what is the flag a symbol? Does consensus about the meaning of the flag appear to be fairly widespread? How can you tell? Does it seem to be widely understood as a positive symbol of national unity?
• What are the flag's nicknames? What can you learn about where those nicknames originate in our culture?
• What can you learn about the flag in popular music? Consider songs, genres, album covers, and lyrics.

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• To me, and many other Americans, the American flag is a symbol for freedom, nationalism, and overall American identity. We view it with pride, either for our nation's history, military, or general accomplishments. Songs, poems, books, art, and even holidays have been created because of the respect and admiration for the American flag, which is a big part of why the flag has become so much of a positive national symbol. In modern day, our flag also represents the ideals of democracy, justice, and freedom, as well as the men and women who have served our country's military and fought to protect our nation.
• One of the flag's most common nicknames is "Old Glory." I learned that this nickname was created because of a flag that a sea captain, William Driver, owned during the Civil War, and that was the victim of multiple attempts at defacement during the war. Another common nickname that I found is the "Stars and Stripes," which is a self-explanatory nickname as the flag is made up of stars and stripes. The third main nickname that my research yielded for the US flag is the "Star-Spangled Banner," which was a poem written by Francis Scott Key after he was inspired by an American flag still flying after a British bombardment on Fort McHenry. This poem eventually was put to song and became our nation's national anthem in 1931.
• The flag is referenced or talked about in many patriotic songs made to celebrate our nation, but in the mainstream popular music, country music has the most references to the flag than any other genre. I believe that this is in large part due to the fact that country music and its singers are more outspokenly patriotic, in general, than others. It could also be inferred that because many country music artists are from the South, that the South has more of an air of patriotism, and has influenced these artists to make music about that patriotic feeling.

5. Habits/Use: What evidence suggests that the flag is generally understood, within our culture, as something that is worthy of respect and more careful treatment than you might otherwise provide to a piece of fabric?

- I think that most people within our culture understand and want the flag to be a symbol that is treated with respect and care, much more so than a normal inanimate object. This is because they believe that the flag is a direct symbol of and has a direct correlation to the armed forces that fight or have fought for our nation's safety. They take care of the flag as a sign of respect to those who serve in the military, those who have served, and those who have died serving.

6. Controversy: Can you find any evidence to suggest that the flag itself is controversial? Or do there just seem to be ways of using it that are controversial?

- I do not think that the flag itself is controversial, however there is evidence to suggest that there are ways that people in our society use the flag that are controversial. A primary example of this is vandalization or damaging of the US flag. This can be through burning it, stomping on it, tearing it, or any other purposeful destructive act to the flag. The main reason some people do this, I have found, is in an attempt to protest the current events going on in the country, like the government, its policies, or people/groups/things within it. Another controversial topic relating to the flag is kneeling during the national anthem to protest social injustices of some kind. Though this does not break any rule or law, many people see it as disrespect to the flag, the military, and the country in general, and find it unpatriotic.

Sources:

PBS, A Capitol Fourth, The History of the American Flag This website is where I found general facts about the flag, from its origin, to the shapes and colors that make it up, to its nicknames and influences on society.
US History, Betsy Ross and the American Flag, Flag Timeline This website is where I found a list of changes to the flag's appearance, along with short descriptions of why each change was made and a picture of each flag.
US Flag, What do the colors of the Flag mean? This website is where I found a more specific description of what the colors and shapes in the flag represent.
US Flag, "Old Glory!" This website is where I found a very detailed description of how the flag's nickname "Old Glory" came about, and the story behind it.
Drexel University, History of the American Flag & American Flag Facts This website is where I found some general facts for the flag, specifically what values the flag is a symbol for and why that is.
The Boot, Top 5 Country Songs Honoring the American Flag This website is where I found evidence that country music is the genre with the most songs and references to the flag, along with specific examples.
Pilot-Tribute & Enterprise, American Flag, a symbol of freedom, liberty and human rights This website is where I found evidence for why people damage the flag, for what causes, and why people react certain ways to that.
AJC,  Flag Day 2018: 7 ways people disrespect the flag every day, according to US flag code This website is where I found evidence on the controversy of kneeling for the flag/national anthem.