History of American Flag
| The Grand Union flag was first hoisted at Prospect Hill, under orders from George Washington, on New Year’s Day, 1776. The flag had a total of 13 red and white alternate stripes, and on the top left corner was the Union Jack. Later that year in May, Betsy Ross said that she had stitched the very first American flag. |
On 14 June 1777, it was the Continental Congress that was responsible for passing the Flag Act, the first act of its kind. This act described how the flag of the US should be. A number of different acts were then passed between the years 1777 and 1960, which were brought about to facilitate the many changes the American Flag went through, in terms of shape, arrangement of the stars and stripes and also design.
The addition of stars and stripes was done many times, since each one stands for a new state that was made a part of the Union. As on this day, the American Flag has a total of 13 horizontal stripes, which is made up of 6 white ones alternating with 7 red ones. These stripes on the flag stand for the original thirteen colonies that formed the Union, while the stars symbolize the fifty states belonging to the Union.
The colors used in the flag are of equal significance too. The red color stands for hardiness and valor, the white in the flag denotes purity and innocence, and finally the blue is meant to signify vigilance, perseverance and justice.
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