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Flag of the United States |
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) 23x15px Union Jack. Used as naval jack, 1960–2002. “American Flag” redirects here. For the song "American Flag" by Cat Power, see Moon Pix.
The flag of the United States of America is one of the most recognized national flags in the world. It consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S. states and the 13 stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against the British crown and became the first states in the Union.[1] Nicknames for the flag include "the Stars and Stripes" and "Old Glory".[2]
Because of its symbolism, the starred blue canton is called the "union". This part of the national flag can stand alone as a maritime flag called the Union Jack[3] which served as the U.S. jack on warships from 1777 until 2002. It continues to be used as a jack by various federally-owned vessels, including those of the Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Though its design is similar to the flag of the British East India Company, no substantive connection has been established. SymbolismThe United States flag is one of the nation's widely recognized and used symbols. Within the U.S. it is frequently displayed, not only on public buildings, but on private residences, as well as iconically in forms such as decals for car windows, and clothing ornaments such as badges and lapel pins. Throughout the world it is used in public discourse to refer to the U.S., both as a nation state, government, and set of policies, but also as an ideology and set of ideals.Many understand the flag to represent the freedoms and rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights and perhaps most of all to be a symbol of individual and personal liberty as set forth in the Declaration of Independence. Through the Pledge of Allegiance and other political uses the flag has also come to be associated with U.S. nationalism, patriotism, and even militarism. The flag is a complex and contentious symbol, around which emotions run high. In terms of the symbolism of the design itself, a book about the flag published by the Congress in 1977 states: "The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."[4] George Washington is credited for saying: "We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty."[5] Many people also take the red and white to stand for the blood of those who gave their lives for freedom, and the presumed purity of the freedom ideal, respectively. DesignSpecification) Diagram of the flag's design The design of the flag is specified by sections 1[6] and 2[7] of Title 4, United States Code (4 U.S.C. §§ 1, 2 (2004)). The specification gives the following values:
Flag ratiosNote that the flag ratio (B in the diagram) is not absolutely fixed. Although the diagram in Executive Order 10834 gives a ratio of 1.9, earlier in the order is a list of flag sizes authorized for executive agencies. This list permits eleven specific flag sizes (specified by height and width) for such agencies: 20.00 × 38.00; 10.00 × 19.00; 8.95 × 17.00; 7.00 × 11.00; 5.00 × 9.50; 4.33 × 5.50; 3.50 × 6.65; 3.00 × 4.00; 3.00 × 5.70; 2.37 × 4.50; and 1.32 × 2.50. Eight of these sizes conform to the 1.9 ratio, within a small rounding error (less than 0.01). However, three of the authorized sizes vary significantly: 1.57 (for 7.00 × 11.00), 1.27 (for 4.33 × 5.50) and 1.33 (for 3.00 × 4.00).ColorsAccording to Flags of the World, the colors are specified by the General Services Administration "Federal Specification, Flag, National, United States of America and Flag, Union Jack," DDD-F-416E, dated November 27, 1981. It gives the colors by reference to "Standard Color Cards of America" maintained by The Color Association of the United States, Inc., as:
According to the book "Our Flag," published by the House of Representatives, "The colors red, white, and blue did not have meanings for The Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 1777." It goes on to say, on page 41 (page 47 of the PDF version)[10] that the colors of the Great Seal of the United States, when it was adopted in 1782, were defined thus: "White signifies Purity and Innocence; Red, Hardiness and Valor; Blue signifies Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice."[11] Design of the unionWhen Alaska and Hawaii were being considered for statehood, more than 1,500 designs were spontaneously submitted to President Dwight D. Eisenhower by Americans. Although some of them were 49-star versions, the vast majority were 50-star proposals. At least three, and probably more, of these designs were identical to the present design of the 50-star flag. These designs are in the Eisenhower Presidential Archives in Abilene, Kansas. Only a small fraction of them has ever been published.One legend states the union of the current 50-star flag was designed by Robert G. Heft in 1958 while living with his grandparents in Ohio. He was 18 years old at the time and did the flag design as a class project. His mother was a seamstress, but refused to do any of the work for him. He originally received a B- for the project. After discussing the grade with his teacher, it was agreed (somewhat jokingly) that if the flag was accepted by Congress, the grade would be reconsidered. Heft's flag design was chosen and adopted by presidential proclamation after Alaska and before Hawaii was admitted into the union in 1959.[12] At the time, credit was given by the Executive Department to the U.S. Army Bureau of Heraldry for the design. DecorationTraditionally, the flag may be decorated with golden fringe surrounding the perimeter of the flag itself as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the flag, such as those in parades or on indoor posts, often utilize fringe to enhance the beauty of the flag. The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the Army used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe, but a 1925 opinion of the attorney general approves the use of fringe "...at the descretion [sic] of the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy...". The United States Army Institute of Heraldry, which has official custody of the flag designs, and makes any such change ordered, also confirms that there are no implications of symbolism in the use of fringe.[13]Flag etiquetteAlthough the Flag Code is U.S. Federal law, there is no penalty for failure to comply with the Flag Code and it is not widely enforced—indeed, punitive enforcement would conflict with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Passage of the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment would overrule legal precedent that has been established in this area. Folding the flag) Folding the U.S. flag
DisplayThe flag is customarily flown year-round from most public buildings, and it is not unusual to find private houses flying full-size flags. Some private use is year-round, but becomes widespread on civic holidays like Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Presidents' Day, Flag Day, and on Independence Day. On Memorial Day it is common to place small flags by war memorials and next to the graves of U.S. war veterans.Places of continuous display) Astronaut Alan Shepard raises the United States Flag on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 14 mission. By presidential proclamation, acts of Congress, and custom, American flags are displayed continuously at certain locations.
Particular days of displayThe flag should especially be displayed at full staff on the following days:
Displaying the flag at half staffThe US Flag is displayed at half staff as a sign of respect or mourning. Nationwide, this action is proclaimed by the president of the United States; state-wide or territory-wide, the proclamation is made by the governor. In addition, there is no prohibition against municipal governments, private businesses or citizens flying the flag at half staff as a local sign of respect and mourning. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first proclamation on March 1, 1954 standardizing the dates and time periods for flying the flag at half staff from all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels; other congressional resolutions and presidential proclamations ensued. However, they are only guidelines to all other entities: typically followed at state and local government facilities, and encouraged of private businesses and citizens.
HistoryThe flag has been changed 26 times since the new, 13-state union adopted it. The 48-star version went unchanged for 47 years, the longest time the flag went unmodified until July 4, 2007, when the current 50-star flag broke the record.First flag) 23x15px Grand Union Flag ("Continental Colors"). .svg.png')) Flag of the British East India Company, 1707–1801 This flag is properly considered the de facto first naval ensign of the United States. It was first raised aboard Continental Navy Commodore Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred on the Delaware River on December 3, 1775,[16] possibly (according to his claim) by the ship's senior lieutenant John Paul Jones. The origins of the design are unclear. It closely resembles the British East India Company (BEIC) flag of the same era, and an argument dating to Sir Charles Fawcett in 1937 holds that the BEIC flag indeed inspired the design.[17] However, the BEIC flag could have from 9 to 13 stripes, and was not allowed to be flown outside the Indian Ocean.[18] Both flags could have been easily constructed by adding white stripes to a British Red Ensign, a common flag throughout Britain and its colonies. It has also been theorized that the flag is based upon the design of the flag from Greece – a tribute of the founding fathers to the country that inspired democracy in America. Another theory holds that the red-and-white stripe—and later, stars-and-stripes—motif of the flag may have been based on the Washington family coat-of-arms, which consisted of a shield "argent, two bars gules, above, three mullets gules" (a white shield with two red bars below three red stars). More likely it was based on a flag of the Sons of Liberty, one of which consisted of 13 red and white alternating horizontal stripes. The Flag Resolution of 1777On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution which stated: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." Flag Day is now observed on June 14 of each year. A false tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June of 1777 by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment.[19]The Flag Resolution did not specify any particular arrangement for the stars. The pictured flag shows the thirteen stars arranged in a circle, the so-called Betsy Ross flag. Although the Betsy Ross legend is not taken seriously by many historians, the design itself is the oldest version of any US flag to appear on any physical relic: it is historically referenced in contemporary battlefield paintings by John Trumbull and Charles Willson Peale, which depict the circular star arrangement. Popular designs at the time were varied and most were individually crafted rather than mass-produced. Given the scant archaeological and written evidence, it is unknown which design was the most popular at that time. The origin of the stars and stripes design is uncertain. A popular story credits Betsy Ross for sewing the first flag from a pencil sketch by George Washington who personally commissioned her for the job. However, no evidence for this theory exists beyond Ross' descendants' much later recollections of what she told her family. Another woman, Rebecca Young, has also been credited as having made the first flag by later generations of her family. Rebecca Young's daughter was Mary Pickersgill, who made the Star Spangled Banner Flag. Another popular theory is that the flag was designed by Francis Hopkinson. Hopkinson was the only person to have made such a claim during his own lifetime, when he sent a bill to Congress for his work. He asked for a "Quarter Cask of the Public Wine" as payment initially. The payment was not made, however, because it was determined he had already received a salary as a member of Congress, and he was not the only person to have contributed to the design. It should be noted that no one else contested his claim at the time. Later flag acts) 23x15px 15-star, 15-stripe "Star-Spangled Banner" flag ) 23x15px 48-star flag, is the second longest in use (1912–1959). )
On April 4, 1818, a plan was passed by Congress at the suggestion of U.S. Naval Captain Samuel C. Reid[20] in which the flag was changed to have 20 stars, with a new star to be added when each new state was admitted, but the number of stripes would remain at thirteen to honor the original colonies. The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day) following admission of one or more new states. The most recent change, from 49 stars to 50, occurred in 1960 when the present design was chosen, after Hawaii gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska in January 1959 prompted the debut of a short-lived 49-star flag. As of July 4, 2007, the 50-star flag has become the longest rendition in use. First saluteThe Netherlands were the first country to salute the Grand Union flag, when by American ships were returned by officials on Dutch islands in the West Indies in late 1776: on St. Croix in October, and on St. Eustatius in November. (Though later, the better documented St. Eustatius incident involving the USS Andrew Doria is traditionally regarded as the "first salute".) France was the first country to salute the Stars and Stripes, when a fleet off the French mainland returned a gun salute by Captain John Paul Jones commanding the USS Ranger on February 14, 1778.[1]Historical progression of designsIn the following table depicting the 27 various designs of the United States flag, the star patterns for the flags are merely the usual patterns, often associated with the United States Navy. Canton designs, prior to the proclamation of the 48-star flag by President William Howard Taft on 29 October 1912, had no official arrangement of the stars. Furthermore, the exact colors of the flag were not standardized until 1934[21].Future of the flag){kind=small}
The United States Army Institute of Heraldry has plans for flags with up to 56 stars, using a similar staggered star arrangement should additional states accede. Moreover, there are continuing political movements supporting statehood in Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Non-standard flags) Guilford Court House Flag Similar flags
The flag of Malaysia also has a striking resemblance, with red and white stripes (14 total), and a blue canton, but displaying instead of stars a star and crescent emblem. Though more dissimilar in appearance, the flag of Cuba was also inspired by the flag of the United States. For example, the white star originally signified an aspiration to U.S. statehood. Its origins date from 1849, when Cuban liberation movements emerged among Cuban exiles in the U.S.[22] Another flag similar to the flag of the United States is the flag of Puerto Rico. There are specific shades of red and blue for the construction of the flag, however there might be slight variations depending on the flag-flyer's political beliefs. The pro-independence groups use a sky light blue, while the pro-statehood groups use a darker shade of blue.
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Notes1. ^ States are represented collectively; there is no meaning to particular stars nor stripes. 2. ^ Coined by Captain William Driver, a nineteenth century shipmaster. 3. ^ No relation to the Union Flag of the United Kingdom to which this term more commonly refers. 4. ^ What do the colors of the Flag mean?. USFlag.org: A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America. Retrieved on June 14, 2005. 5. ^ The United States Flag - Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved on December 7, 2006. 6. ^ hr>000-notes.html Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 1 Notes from Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection. 7. ^ hr>000-.html Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 2 from Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection. 8. ^ The Pantone color equivalents for Old Glory Blue and Red are listed on U.S. Flag Facts at the U.S. Embassy's London site. 9. ^ The RGB color values are taken from the Pantone Color Finder at Pantone.com. 10. ^ United States Government (1861). Our Flag (PDF), Washington DC: United States Government Printing Office. S. Doc 105-013. 11. ^ A Proclamation by the President: Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2001. The White House. Retrieved on December 7, 2006. 12. ^ Robert G. Heft: Designer of America's Current National Flag. USFlag.org: A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America. Retrieved on December 7, 2006. 13. ^ Fringe on the American Flag. Retrieved on June 27, 2006. 14. ^ London Olympics 1908 & 1948 15. ^ [2] 16. ^ Leepson, Marc. (2005). Flag: An American Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 16. 17. ^ The STRIPED FLAG of the EAST INDIA COMPANY, and its CONNEXION with the AMERICAN "STARS and STRIPES" at Flags of the World 18. ^ East India Company (United Kingdom) at Flags of the World 19. ^ Guenter (1990) 20. ^ United States Government (1861). Our Flag (PDF), Washington DC: United States Government Printing Office. S. Doc 105-013. 21. ^ (For alternate versions of the flag of the United States, see the Stars of the U.S. Flag page at the Flags of the World website.)
External links
This is an incomplete list of names used for specific flags, either as officially designated titles or traditional nicknames.
..... Click the link for more information. The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon. Description of standard flag parts and terms
..... Click the link for more information. national flag is a flag that symbolises a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can be flown by citizens of that country as well. Both public and private buildings such as schools and courthouses often fly the national flag. ..... Click the link for more information. June 14 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining. In common years it is always in ISO week 24. ..... Click the link for more information. 8th century - 9th century - 10th century 850s 860s 870s - 880s - 890s 900s 910s 885 886 887 - 888 - 889 890 891 : Subjects: Archaeology - Architecture - ..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information. 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 1957 1958 1959 - 1960 - 1961 1962 1963 Year 1960 (MCMLX ..... Click the link for more information. Moon Pix (1998) The Covers Record (2000) Moon Pix is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Cat Power a.k.a. Chan Marshall. It was released in September 1998 on Matador Records. ..... Click the link for more information. flag is a piece of woven cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used symbolically for signalling or identification. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium. ..... Click the link for more information. Motto "In God We Trust" (since 1956) "E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional) Anthem ..... Click the link for more information. national flag is a flag that symbolises a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can be flown by citizens of that country as well. Both public and private buildings such as schools and courthouses often fly the national flag. ..... Click the link for more information. Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 625–750 nm. ..... Click the link for more information. White is the combination of all the colors of the visible light spectrum.[1]. It is sometimes described as an achromatic color, like black. White is technically achromatic, and not a color, since it has no hue. ..... Click the link for more information. The term blue may refer to any of a number of similar colours. The sensation of blue is made by light having a spectrum dominated by energy in the wavelength range of about 440–490 nm. ..... Click the link for more information. The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon. Description of standard flag parts and terms
..... Click the link for more information. The star, as an ideograph, most commonly represents the astronomical star for which it is named. Emblematic use
..... Click the link for more information. United States of America This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the United States Federal government Constitution Taxation President Vice President Cabinet Congress Senate ..... Click the link for more information. Thirteen Colonies were British colonies in North America founded between 1607 (Virginia), and 1733 (Georgia). Although Great Britain held several other colonies in North America and the West Indies, the colonies referred to as the "thirteen" are those that began a rebellion against ..... Click the link for more information. British monarchy is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and holds the now constitutional position of head of state. ..... Click the link for more information. maritime flag is a flag designated for use on boats and other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea and the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. ..... Click the link for more information. The jack of the United States is a maritime flag representing United States nationality flown on the jackstaff in the bow of its vessels. The U.S. Navy is a prime user of jacks, but they are also used by ships of the Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, National Oceanic and ..... Click the link for more information. United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the U.S. military, a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. The Coast Guard has eleven statutory missions: Migrant Interdiction, Defense Readiness, Drug Interdiction, Ports, Waterways and ..... Click the link for more information. The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is a United States Navy (USN) organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS ..... Click the link for more information. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency of the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. ..... Click the link for more information. Honourable East India Company (HEIC), often colloquially referred to as "John Company", and "Company Bahadur" in India, was an early joint-stock company (the Dutch East India Company was the first to issue public stock). ..... Click the link for more information. Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. If you are prevented from editing this page, and you wish to make a change, please discuss changes on the talk page, request unprotection, log in, or . ..... Click the link for more information. United States of America This article is part of the series: United States Constitution Original text of the Constitution Preamble Articles of the Constitution I ∙ II ∙ III ∙ IV ∙ V ∙ VI ∙ VII ..... Click the link for more information. The United States Declaration of Independence was an act of the Second Continental Congress, adopted on July 4, 1776, which declared that the Thirteen Colonies in North America were "Free and Independent States" and that "all political connection between them and the State of ..... Click the link for more information. The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise or oath of allegiance to the United States as represented by its national flag. It is commonly recited in unison at public events, and especially in public school classrooms, where the Pledge is often a morning ritual. ..... Click the link for more information. Nationalism is a term that refers to a doctrine[1] or political movement[2] that holds that a nation—usually defined in terms of ethnicity or culture—has the right to constitute an independent or autonomous political community based on a shared ..... Click the link for more information. This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Prior to Town Board of Trustees meetings, he purposefully and irreverently chooses to publicly sit, facing away from the flag of the United States, during recital of the Pledge of Allegiance. Condemn public desecration of the flag of the United States. The flag of the United States has all the meaning it needs - attempting to add to it will only detract from the very things it represents. |
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Flag of the United States
