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When the American flag was created. National flag of the United States of America

All countries have state flags. You can forget the words of the anthem, find it difficult to depict the components of the coat of arms, but from early childhood we remember the flag of our homeland. He accompanies us everywhere; at homes and stadiums, at memorials and government offices, at conferences and conventions, in the quiet of offices and at parades, on flagpoles of ships and on television news programs. Millions of people are proud of their national flags. Only among the countries that are members of the UN, their number is close to 200. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to remember everything. True, some of them are easily recognizable. For example: the square Swiss flag, as well as the flag of the International Committee of the Red Cross derived from it. The American state flag is also known all over the world, with 13 horizontal alternating red and white stripes and an upper dark blue canopy with the image of 50 five-pointed white stars. One of the main symbols of the United States of America.

The number of flags in the world is so great that it is difficult to count. Indeed, in addition to the state ones, there are also naval and trade flags. In addition, within the states themselves, separate regions have independent flags: states, lands, provinces, cantons, provinces, departments, etc. The flags of historically departed or newly formed formations also function there. Let's say there are also places in the United States where the Confederate flags are flown. It should not be forgotten that every city and municipal association also has them. But there are not only administrative units. A special place here is occupied by sports organizations, where each club and even a team in all sports has its own flag. Not to mention the numerous international organizations and national movements: the UN, the Olympic Committee, various ethnic flags, etc. A special place is occupied by the flags of social movements: pacifists, homosexuals, etc. The flags of numerous commercial organizations and a huge number of banners and church banners.

Let's try to understand their differences. First - the banner from the flag. The fact is that if the latter can be produced in large, even industrial volumes, then the banner is always individual. Let's say there is a regiment banner, or a division banner. There cannot be several of them. As a rule, banner panels are made of two pieces of fabric sewn around the perimeter, differing in appearance and possible inscriptions. Made of expensive materials (velvet, satin, brocade), they are usually decorated with ribbons, embroidery, fringes or tassels, and are attached with special nails to a shaft decorated with a pointed tip. It is customary to store banners in a case, and only specially trained standard-bearers have the right to take out and deploy them. Thus, the banners are, as it were, the official "face" of certain organizations.

If we are talking about the presentation of a flag of any particular position or post, then it automatically turns into a standard. We are familiar with the "standard of the president" as a symbol of power. There are many more known modifications of flags, which include a pennant, badge, flag, canton or weather vane. But this is already more interesting for seamen and specialists. And now we will pay attention to the differences in their colors. Of course, there are monochrome ones among them. Everyone knows about the white flag, which, according to the Geneva Conventions, serves as a sign of a truce, either as an offer to negotiate or surrender. And black is usually associated with the Jolly Roger, a pirate flag bearing a skull and bones.

We are also familiar with the revolutionary red flags of the Soviet Union, China or Vietnam with the corresponding stellar attributes. But most often flags are still made in different colors, with a vertical or horizontal arrangement of the corresponding stripes. Among them there are the same ones: red-white in Monaco and Poland, or red-white-blue tricolors of Russia and the Netherlands, but with a different arrangement of stripes. Although there are many possibilities here.

The design of the flags can be jagged (where two colors are separated by a zigzag edge), edged (in which the main color is surrounded by a different color), or, like the St. Andrew's flag, divided into four equal sections, etc. In this sense, the flag of Norway is especially interesting. which is called the "mother of all flags" because it includes the flags of Indonesia, Poland, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Thailand.

The flags of the British Overseas Territories are very similar, differing from each other only in their coats of arms. Most often, on the flags you can see the image of the sun or the Scandinavian cross, or elements in some way reflecting the history and culture of states. Despite the fact that most national flags are designed with various geometric shapes and common symbols, there are flags with incredibly exotic designs. For example, a Kalashnikov assault rifle is placed on the flag of Mozambique, Cyprus has transferred the map of the island to it, and the flag of Cambodia is very convenient for tourists: it depicts the main attraction of the country - the Angkor Wat temple. On the flag of Benin, a naked man with a sword decapitates another, and on the flag of Wales - a dragon. By the way, images of birds and animals can be seen on the flags of many countries: Mexico has a golden eagle, Uganda has a crane, Zambia has an eagle, Sri Lanka the lion, Moldova has a bison's head, Belgian Walloon has a rooster, Chelyabinsk region has a camel. The city of St. Petersburg in Florida chose a white pelican, Berlin - a bear, and Hanover - a white horse.

The images of plants are also found on flags. The most famous of these is the maple leaf on the flag of Canada. Near Cyprus we see olive branches, Brussels - iris, Equatorial Guinea - a cotton tree, Mexico - a cactus. You can watch these and many other interesting facts and stories related to flags in the entertaining flags with Shelton Cooper video show. The fact is that the host of this series, the talented American comedian Jim Parsons (known for the movie "The Big Bang Theory") is an ardent admirer of Vexillology: a historical science that studies all types of flags and banners, their forms, components, heraldic or symbolic signs and compositions colors, establishing the origin and evolution of their development. The books of the American flag expert Whitney Smith, translated into almost all European languages, also served as a widespread popularization of vexillology. This word itself comes from the Latin “ vexillum"(Banner), the ancient Roman name for the predecessor of modern flags -" vexillum ", a small piece of cloth attached by its upper edge to a horizontal pole. Combined with the Latin "logos" ("word" or "doctrine"), it formed the term Vexillology, which is now used as an international one. Of course, the Romans were not the first to use flags. This was preceded by their

Centuries-old history

But, oddly enough it sounds, it was born from superstition. Our ancient ancestors believed that some animals or birds can become their protectors and contribute to the success of the hunt. They painted their images on the walls of caves, and when they went hunting, they often took with them a pole with the image of figures of selected deities. In addition, the highly raised pole made it easy to locate the tribesmen. This custom was later used by ancient civilizations. It is known that in Ancient Egypt, about five thousand years ago, during the campaigns, warriors carried long poles with special badges-symbols of their troops, which were crowned with a figurine of a falcon - a deity recognized in Egypt. Assyrian warriors at the end of a long pole fixed a disc with the image of a bull, or two, but grappling with horns. The Ancient Greeks developed this tradition even further: any city, nation or state could be identified by their chosen holy animal or bird: the owl was the symbol of Athens, the galloping horse was Corinth, the bull was Boeotia. The Romans adopted it from the Greeks. The symbols of the Roman legion were called signums, they tied the tails of animals, bundles of hay, and fastened various metal badges. In 104 BC. Consul Marius officially decreed that the image of an eagle would henceforth become the sign of the Roman legion.

For a long time, the eagle was a totem among the peoples of Asia, then the ancient Persians, Greeks, and later - the Romans adopted this tradition from them. A unique proof of this is a unique artifact: the oldest flag in the world, made in the third millennium BC. It was discovered in Shahdad, an ancient region of Iran, and is now kept in the National Museum of Tehran. This ancient "Shahdad flag" is a 22 by 22 centimeters plate made of an alloy of copper with other metals and an admixture of arsenic. It was engraved with ancient symbols, and the flagpole was crowned with a figurine of an eagle. The first Roman banners differed from modern ones in that their purple panels were not attached to the pole, as they are now, but hung vertically from a small cross bar nailed to a long pole. The Chinese were the first to fasten the panel not to the transverse bar, but directly to the shaft. They also replaced the heavy and rough cloth of the Romans with Chinese silk. Around 100 BC e. In China, they began to use this, then unknown in Europe, light and durable fabric, the panel from which was easily painted and fluttered, fluttering even in a light wind. And the bright figures depicted on it seemed alive and were easily distinguishable from afar.

It is believed that it was at that time that the tradition of using banners in military campaigns was born, although in China they were also used to organize religious processions in temples. The Arabs were the first to adopt it: the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570 - 632), went on campaigns only under the banner. First under black, and then under green, which has since been considered the "color of the prophet." During the crusades to the Holy Land (XI-XIII centuries), European knights also got acquainted with these Arab customs. Soon, flags also appeared over their castles and estates, but already with their family crests. And in 1189, before the start of the third crusade, it was decided that the German emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, the French king Philip II Augustus, the Austrian Duke Leopold V and the English king Richard I the Lionheart, who led it, would march under their own banners. ... This was caused not so much by serious contradictions between them as by different ways of advancing their armies to the Holy Land.

However, the first officially recognized national flag is considered to be the flag of Denmark. An interesting legend is connected with its appearance. As if at the beginning of the XIII century, the Danish king Waldemar II organized a campaign against the pagan Estonians. They decided to go for a trick: agreeing to make peace and be baptized, they suddenly treacherously attacked the Danes. Caught by surprise, they began to retreat. At this time, their king saw in the evening sky, reddened by the sunset, a white cross. And soon, into the hands of the archbishop praying for the army, "Dannebrog" ("the flag of the Danes") fell from the sky.

Taking this miracle as a sign of God, the Danes perked up and crushed the enemy. This happened on June 15, 1219. Since then, every year on this day, Dannebrog's birthday is celebrated in Tallinn's Garden of the Danish King. And the figure of an iron knight installed there, with a sword and a red-and-white shield, stylized in the colors of the Danish flag, indicates the place where the flag descended to the ground. Similar legends related to the origin of national flags exist in many countries. For example, the Austrian flag consists of three stripes of equal size: red, then white, and again red. It is believed that during the third Crusade, the Austrian Duke Leopold V fought so fiercely with the Saracens that he was wounded, and his white marching uniform was covered in blood. But when he took off the belt, it turned out that blood had not penetrated under it, and a white stripe remained in the middle of the form. The Duke liked these colors so much that he later transferred them to his standard. And in 1230, Duke Frederick II approved this combination of red and white as the flag of Austria.

In Germany, they love to tell the story of how during the Napoleonic wars, German student volunteers formed the so-called "freedom corps" under the command of von Lutzoff. His uniform was student black coats with sewn red shoulder straps and brass buttons. It is assumed that these very colors: black, red and gold, then became part of the German national tricolor. There are similar legends about the American flag. At least the story is well known, which took place on August 3, 1777, when reinforcements from Massachusetts were sent to the besieged Fort Schuyler (in the New York area). His fighters brought with them the news of the decision taken by Congress to establish the official flag of the 13 united states. There was a decree, but the flag itself was not yet there. And then the soldiers urgently sewed it from their white shirts torn into stripes, the red flannel skirts of the officers' wives, and the blue coat of Captain Abraham Swartworth ( Abraham swartwout) and then lifted it over the fort. The credibility of this story is confirmed by a voucher from Congress, which refunded the captain the value of his coat used to produce the flag. True, here we are not talking about the idea of creating the flag itself, but about the unusual form of its implementation.

And yet, in many countries of the world, flags were initially used at sea and then on land. The first signs of ownership and nationality of ships were the emblems or coats of arms painted on the sails of the ship. The same purpose was served by heraldic shields attached along the planes. But gradually they were replaced by real state flags. This was the beginning and

History of the American State Flag

So, in 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence of the United States. The new state included 13 territories, former colonies of Great Britain: Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, South Carolina and North Carolina. This document summed up the results of the struggle that had been waged for many years. Suffice it to recall the "Boston Massacre" in March 1770, when British soldiers in Massachusetts opened fire on an unarmed crowd, or the "Boston Tea Party", in which on December 16, 1773, in response to the actions of the British government in Boston Harbor, the cargo was destroyed tea of the British East India Company. All these years, ships belonging to colonies dissatisfied with their position, nevertheless, carried out trade and military operations. But under what flag? It is believed that they came out under the so-called. A continental flag that was a slightly modified copy of the British East India Company flag. The only difference was that they, having preserved 13 red and white stripes, a rectangular canopy (the upper part of the flag at the flagpole) with the image of the British Union Jack ( Union jack) was replaced by a square one. This is easy to explain - after all, then no one even thought about complete separation from Great Britain. This Continental flag was widely known as Grand union flag- the flag of the Greater Union, the Cambridge flag, or the flag of Congress.

East India Company Flag and Continental Flag. Photo: depositphotos.com

It is believed to have been first raised on December 2, 1775 by Lieutenant John Paul Jones aboard the Alfred in Philadelphia Harbor. It is also known about the use in those days of the Gadsden yellow flag with the image of a rattlesnake curled up and ready to bite and the text under it: "Do not step on me." Or the flag "The Tree of Liberty", with the image of a lonely green pine tree on a white background, sometimes with the inscription "Appeal to Heaven." Like the flag of Bedford, with a hand chained in armor raising a sword, and the Latin inscription "Win or Die" There were many more options. B. Franklin, who took the post of US ambassador in Paris, even received a request from the Sicilians with a request to inform under what flag American ships should enter foreign ports? It was necessary to make a final decision on a single national flag of the country.

And on June 14, 1777, Congress finally approved it. It is this day in the United States that will later be celebrated as Flag Day. The decree read: "The flag of the 13 United States consists of 13 alternating stripes of red and white and 13 white stars on a blue field, representing a new constellation." And J. Washington explained the design in his own way: “We took the stars from heaven, red is the color of our homeland, the white stripes that divide it mean that we have separated from it; and these white stripes will go down in history as a symbol of freedom. " Now it was time to design the flag. Francis Hopkinson ( Francis hopkinson) Is one of the Founding Fathers, a lawyer who signed the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. He acted simply, based on the Continental flag. Moreover, there was no need to explain where 13 stripes appeared on the flag of the East India Company: all these stories about Masons, the meaning of the number 13, and the fact that the murder of the Templars was carried out on Friday, October 13th. Everything was clear here: after all, the number of colonies that signed the Declaration was also 13, which means that the alternating red and white stripes could be preserved. Now the question arose about the roof. Hopkinson replaced the image of the British Union Jack with a starry sky, depicting the same 13 white stars (states) in the blue sky. And if “we took the stars from heaven,” then it was logical to make them 6-pointed, that is, biblical, or Bethlehem. These stars, by the way, will then appear in the first edition of the coat of arms, and later on the sheriffs' chests. Confirmation of the work done by him can serve as Hopkinson's appeal to Congress, with a request to pay for it. But payment was never made. On the one hand, because he simply fulfilled the instructions of the Congress, for which he received the corresponding salary of the congressman. On the other hand, many of the flags produced later did not quite match his design. According to his idea, the stars in the roof were to be arranged in rows, and they were placed in a circle, or a semicircle with the number 76 - the year of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, and in other versions. In addition, 6-pointed stars have been replaced with 5-pointed ones. But why and by whom was it done? Presumably, by D. Washington himself. An indirect confirmation of this is the widespread legend of the seamstress Betsy Ross ( Betsy Ross).

Allegedly, members of a certain commission of the Congress came to her workshop in early June 1766 with a proposal to make a flag. Among them were General Washington, who was well known to her, who attended the same church with her and had already used her services, as well as financier Robert Morris and her husband's uncle (a representative of Pennsylvania) Colonel Ross. She immediately agreed, but made several comments: the flag should be made not square, but rectangular and the six-pointed stars should be replaced with pentagonal ones, since they are easier to make. J. Washington immediately agreed with her proposals and corrected the drawing. He probably remembered then what form the Continental flag has, and that it is the 5-pointed stars that shine on his family coat of arms. They then took this revised blueprint to Congress, where it was reviewed. And the very next day, Colonel Ross announced that her changes were approved, and she could start work. So, according to legend, Betsy Ross made the first union flag and then over the years produced flags for the US government. This story was told by her grandson William Canby at a meeting of the Pennsylvania Historical Society in March 1870, confirming only with the testimony of his family members. If at another time this message had simply not been paid attention, or ridiculed, now it has fallen on fertile ground. Philadelphia was preparing to celebrate the centenary of the United States, and such a heroine suited them in all respects. Therefore, this story immediately got into newspapers, magazines and children's books. And it has become so popular and famous that no one even thinks about its authenticity. But in the documents of Congress for this period, it was not possible to find any references or references to the existence of any committees for the creation of the flag, meetings to review its design, and even less approval. There are no documents on agreements with Betsy for the production of flags for the Congress in the future. And the very visit of eminent guests to her is doubtful. Imagine a situation: a military general J. Washington, busy on the fronts of the revolution and torn between Boston and New York, makes time to create not only sketches of the flag, but also to visit a seamstress. What, couldn’t have sent someone simpler? And the fact itself: he draws 6-pointed stars and comes to Betsy to dissuade him? And he, the statesman, does not care how much time the seamstress spends carving out the stars? Not to mention the fact that Washington was not in Philadelphia at all at that time. And why did Betsy and her relatives remain silent about this event for over 100 years? But now all this does not matter anymore. In school textbooks and textbooks for passing on American citizenship, this story is presented as an absolute reality. The house where she lived was bought out in Philadelphia. And now every guest of this city will certainly visit it. Dozens of artists depicted her meeting with Washington and working on the flag, and in 1952 a special three-cent stamp was issued in honor of Betsy Ross's 200th birthday. So she turned into a kind of symbol, despite the fact that at least 17 people could apply for the right to be called the seamstress who made the first American flag. But the most amazing thing is that this first union flag, with the image of 13 stars in the form of a ring, lasted for 18 years (from 1777 to 1795), and traditionally continues to be called the "Betsy Ross Flag".

An interesting story happened to the same captain John Paul Jones in 1779. During a naval battle, he captured the British frigate Serapis, on which the flag was torn off and carried away by the wind.

When Jones brought him to the Dutch port of Texel for repairs, the frigate was deemed pirate. He looked like a pirate ship - without a flag. And then, so that the Dutch would believe that the ship belonged to the United States, Jones strained his memory and made a standard of 13 stripes and 13 stars. It turned out not very similar to the already adopted design, but the Dutch were satisfied with it. Since then it has been called the "Flag of Serapis". Since those ancient times, the number of stars on the flag has changed 26 times .

The next time this happened in 1795, after joining the union of the states of Vermont and Kentucky. Assuming that the unification of the colonies was already completed on this, it was decided to increase the number of stripes and stars from 13 to 15, placing them horizontally on the roof in 5 rows, 3 in each. This is exactly how, with 15 stars and stripes, the lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key saw him on September 13, 1814, during the shelling of Fort McHenry in Baltimore by British ships. Despite the fierce shelling, the fort survived, and early the next morning Francis saw the US flag still flying over it, not the British Union Jack. Fascinated by the fortitude and courage of the fort's defenders, he immediately wrote the poem The Defense of Fort McHenry. Her lines, set to music, were so loved by everyone that soon the song began to be used in the Navy, and from March 3, 1931, it was declared the national anthem.

“See if you see the first rays of the sun,
What did we say goodbye to with our eyes at sunset?
Oh, tell me, he's alive, our striped flag,
The colors of the sky and the sun are our star banner? ...
Over the land of the free, the home of the brave? "

Since then, it began to be called Star-spangled banne(Flag strewn with stars). And in this form it existed until 1818. From that moment on, the number of states that joined the union began to increase, and Congress decided to return to the original 13 bands, but the number of stars had to correspond to the number of states in a single union. On April 4, 1818, a law was passed, signed by President Monroe, which provided for a flag canvas with 13 stripes, and in the case of a new state registration, from July 4, an additional star was added to the canopy.

There is another American flag that has become famous under its own name. This Old glory(Old glory). It is generally believed that in 1831 Captain William Driver named the flag of his whaling ship Charles Doggett just like that. It was badly battered by the sea winds, faded from the bright rays of the sun, but, nevertheless, the captain took it with him on sailing for many years and saved it from confiscation by the Confederate authorities during the civil war. After graduation, William hung the "Old Glory" flag on the spire of the Capitol in Tennessee. Federation soldiers greeted him with enthusiasm. Many newspapers wrote about this episode, and the flag soon became famous. Today "Old Glory", like the "Flag Spangled with Stars", is kept in the National Museum of American History, in Washington DC.

Old Glory flag. Photo: depositphotos.com

In 1863, after the annexation of West Virginia, 35 stars appeared on the US flag. In fact, it was under this flag that the war between North and South ended.

And only in 1913, when the flag had already changed 24 times, and had 48 stars, for the first time special documents and specifications were approved, regulating its proportions, sizes and colors of stripes. For example, it was then that the ratio of the height to the length of the flag was established as 1: 1.9, etc. Stars and stripes(Stars and Stripes), or "Birthday Flag". Initially, it was initiated by ordinary school teachers BJ Sigrand from Wisconsin and George Balch from New York. Then this idea was picked up in Philadelphia, New York and in the state of Chicago. In connection with the holding of such holidays in different states and parts of the country, in 1916 he was officially proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson. And on August 3, 1949, now President Truman, signed the Act of Congress, which finally approved June 14 as Flag Day- National Flag Day. Since then, every year on this day, US residents have been decorating their homes with flags, thereby showing their patriotism. The flag, the birthday of which was then celebrated, had already celebrated its 172th anniversary by that time and, having been approved in 1912, will serve until 1959. And since we have already started talking about patriotism, it should be noted here that it was under this flag that American soldiers went into battle during the First and Second World Wars. Therefore, here it is impossible not to mention the events of the American-Japanese war and the famous photograph "Raising the flag over Iwo Jima" ( Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima), executed on 23 February 1945 by military journalist and photographer Joseph Rosenthal.

It shows five US Marines and a US Navy orderly raising the country's flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima at the end of World War II. The seizure of the island, where the Japanese airfields and airbases were located, was of great strategic importance for the Americans. After four days of fierce fighting, a Marine unit made its way to one of the volcanic peaks of Iwo Jima and hoisted the American flag on it. This photograph, reprinted in thousands of newspapers and magazines, immediately became incredibly popular. Later, she became the only one, in the year of publication of the frame, to receive the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding photography. And in the United States, this photograph has become one of the most significant and recognizable images of war, and the most frequently reproduced in photographic reproductions of all time.

But back to our retrospective. In 1923, a special Flag Code appeared in the United States, regulating the rules and traditions of handling this symbol of the American state. In 1943, it received federal law status. It reflects the rules of handling and hanging, both the flag itself and the lowered one, special days for hanging, instructions on what is prohibited to do with the flag, as well as places of constant hanging. It is curious that in addition to the most important public buildings in the country, it was also located at the South Pole and on the surface of the Moon. American flags were placed there by the astronauts of the Apollo 11,12,14,15,16 and Apollo 17 spacecraft. True, the flag set by the Apollo 11 crew was knocked over by the exhaust when the spacecraft took off into lunar orbit, so that five American flags are now installed on the moon.

Screenshot from video posted on YouTube channel Cosmoknowledge

Now let's go back to 1958. Then the country widely debated the question of the possible admission of Alaska and Hawaii to the United States. But what should the wings of these flags look like if they were joined? More than 1,500 proposals have been submitted to the US Congress, both 49 and 50 star flags. On this wave, a history teacher at Lancaster, Ohio, gave his students homework: to design a flag. One of them, 17-year-old Robert Heft ( Robert G. Heft), for the proposal he presented received a four with a minus. Than he was very unhappy. Having entered into a sharp polemic with the teacher, he received an appropriate answer: the grade can be changed only if Congress approves his work. And then Robert not only sent his work to the competition, but also won it. So in 1960, after the annexation of Hawaii, the flag came out with its design, and it exists in this form to this day. In recent years, however, there have been reports that the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and others are claiming the right to become 51 states. But their time has not come yet. And the new Robert Heft is probably just getting ready to go to school.

And in 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed a decree that from that moment the US national flag should also be displayed on the flagpole of the Marine Corps Memorial, and be there around the clock, for 24 hours a day. Along with such significant public buildings and services of the country as the White House, Washington Monument, National Memorial Arch in Pennsylvania, crossings of state borders, etc. All this happened because the completion of the construction of this Memorial in 1954, near the walls of Arlington National Cemetery (in the suburbs of Washington), received a huge response, both domestically and internationally. In fact, he was the embodiment in bronze of the previously mentioned famous photograph of the journalist Joseph Rosenthal "Raising the flag over Iwo Jima."

The fact is that the sculptor Felix de Velden, then serving in the US Navy, was so moved and admired by this photograph that he immediately made several plaster copies of it and showed them to his superiors. This story ended with the fact that in the end, he was entrusted with the construction of a war memorial complex, representing six soldiers (H = 9.8 m.), Frozen in an incredible effort while hoisting the flag on a block of black granite (H = 4.5 m.), Resembling volcanic rock of the island of Iwo Jima. If we look closely at the faces and frozen figures of these soldiers, we will see with what difficulty and determination, overcoming the wind at the top and the weight of the huge canvas, they, intercepting and passing the flagpole to each other, raise this flag higher and higher. And we understand that for them this is not just a Victory flag raised as a sign of the end of the battle, but something much more. It was hard to imagine that it was generally possible to capture this impregnable island, but they did it. And they hoisted over it the star-striped flag of their country, for which they were ready to give their lives, to the last drop of their blood. Three of them will remain on this land forever, and the Battle of Iwo Jima will be the bloodiest operation in the history of the United States Marine Corps. "Incredible Valor was their common Merit," Admiral Chester Nimitz would say about them.

A slightly different perspective on understanding the role and significance of the national flag is presented at the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island in New York Harbor.

There was installed a huge, plastic, interactive panel "American Flag in Faces", where every American (descendant of immigrants) can upload his photo. Approaching it from one side, you can only see the flag itself, but when you start moving along it, the faces of men, women and children of different ages and skin colors begin to appear on the panel. Thousands of faces of those who once arrived here as a foreigner. To eventually become an American. And when you go back, then all the faces gradually merge and dissolve in the American flag. Because it doesn't matter at all whether you were born under this flag, or stepped under its shade later, you still sooner or later become forever faithful to it. And you will be happy to realize that your children, like millions of their peers, will take the oath of allegiance to the flag every day at school. And later, you yourself, having attended the international meeting of your favorite sports club, as well as thousands of fans in the stadium around you, at the very moment when the flag starts to rise and the melody of the anthem sounds, get up from your seat, raise your head to it and attach your right hand to your heart. And this gesture is easy to explain.

Photo Depositphotos

Remember how Yu Vizbor used to sing:

“We will forever save,

This land is in my heart ... ”.

And not only this country, which once accepted you or your relatives, you will forever keep in your heart. But her anthem, which is also about the flag, and the flag itself, in front of which you now stand and hold your hand on your heart. Here he is climbing on a flagpole. Stars and stripes... The Stars and Stripes American Flag. One of the main symbols of the country.

The history of the United States is entertaining and interesting. In this article, we will talk about the US flag: why it looks like this and not otherwise.

Today, the American flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes, is one of the most recognized and replicated symbols in the world.

Americans are very proud of their national flag. The history of the American flag begins almost 250 years ago and is closely related to administrative ones.

So what do we have on the US flag?

7 red and 6 white horizontal equal-sized alternating stripes;
in the upper left corner on a blue rectangle half the width of the flag, 50 five-pointed white stars.

The US flag is notable for the fact that the blue color in it is much darker than the blue used in the flags of other states. Officially, this shade of blue is called Navy Blue. This is understandable from a practical point of view: in the XVIII century. there were no persistent dyes yet, and "normal" blue would quickly fade to pale blue; the flag of a thick, dark blue color retained its properties for a long time. For the same reason, the red on the American flag is also darker than the red on the flags of other countries, although not to the same extent.

Meaning of the USA flag

Thirteen stripes symbolize 13 colonies that formed an independent state (Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island). The blue canopy (rectangle) symbolizes the Union. The number of stars in the blue roof corresponds to the number of states (currently there are 50). Red represents endurance and valor; dark blue - diligence, justice, vigilance; white - innocence and purity.

The ratio of the flag's width to its length is 10:19.

The flag changed over time depending on the number of states that made up the Union. A new star is added to the flag on July 4th after the new state joins the union. The number of bands remains unchanged.

How it all began?

At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the United States did not yet have an official national flag.

Continental flag

The urgent need for a new American flag was associated with the outbreak of the War of Independence. A new symbol was needed. The first unofficial flag of the United States was the Continental Flag, which was almost an exact replica of the British East India Company flag. The only difference was in the number of stripes.

The new symbol of America was raised on December 2, 1775 by Lieutenant John Paul Jones aboard the Alfred in Philadelphia Harbor. From that point on, it was used by the Continental Forces as a naval flag and garrison flag. This is how the history of the US flag began.

Later, on June 14, 1777, a decree was enshrined in the national flag law in which 13 red and white horizontal stripes were retained, and a blue rectangle with thirteen white five-pointed equal-sized stars was placed instead of the British flag.

First official American flag

The ordinance read: "The flag of the thirteen United States consists of 13 alternating stripes of red and white and 13 white stars on a blue field, representing a new constellation." And George Washington explained the design in his own way: “We took the stars from heaven, red is the color of our homeland, the white stripes that separate it mean that we have separated from it; these white stripes will go down in history as a symbol of freedom. " June 14 is celebrated in the United States as Flag Day.

The flag has changed 26 times since the 13 colonies first adopted it. For the longest time - for 47 years - the version of the flag with 48 stars was used, and only after July 4, 2007, the current 50-star flag broke this record. The last states to join the United States were Alaska and Hawaii. The 49th and 50th stars appeared on the flag in 1959 and 1960, respectively.

US flag code

The US Flag Code is the rules governing the handling and display of the US national flag.

the US flag should never touch the ground (but the widespread legend that the US flag that touches the ground should be destroyed is just a legend);
if the edges of the US flag are worn out, then the flag must be repaired or destroyed properly (usually by burning);
the US flag posted at night should be lit up;
it is forbidden to use the US flag for advertising, as well as to depict it on any disposable items;
it is prohibited to use the US flag as clothing, bedding, or for drapery (except for draping a coffin at a funeral);
it is forbidden to bow the US flag as a sign of respect for any person;
it is allowed to decorate the US flag with gold fringes;
The canton of the US flag (the corner of the blue with stars) must always be on top of the flag (except when sending a distress call);
the US flag should always hang freely (for obvious reasons, an exception was made only for the US flags installed by American astronauts on the moon).

In contact with

When asked what do people call the American flag? given by the author Leisan Habirova the best answer is Flag of the United States, also known as the Stars and Stripes
Proportions: 10:19. It is a panel with seven red and six white horizontal stripes. In the blue canton - 50 five-pointed white stars
The 13 stripes recall the early period of the history of the American flag (1775-1783), when each state (and there were 13 of them) had one stripe and one star. 50 stars in the canton represent 50 states

Answer from Anatoly Laptev[guru]
Mattress.

Answer from Maks Astaykin[active]
star-striped

Answer from Vicky smocky[guru]
It seems, they also call Junon Jack ...

Answer from Victoria[guru]
star-striped))

Answer from sasha galashin[newbie]
The US national flag is one of the oldest national standards in the world. At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the United States did not yet have an official national flag.
The urgent need for a new American flag was associated with the outbreak of the War of Independence. A new symbol was needed. The first unofficial US flag was the Continental flag, also known as the flag of Congress and the Cambridge flag. The flag was almost an exact replica of the British East India Company flag. The only difference was in the number of stripes.
Continental flag Replica of the Continental flag
Continental flag
Replica of the Continental flag
The new symbol of America was raised on December 2, 1775 by Lieutenant John Paul Jones aboard the Alfred in Philadelphia Harbor. From that point on, it was used by the Continental Forces as a naval flag and garrison flag. This is how the history of the US flag began.
Later, on June 14, 1777, a decree was enshrined in the national flag law in which 13 red and white horizontal stripes were retained, and a blue rectangle with thirteen white five-pointed equal-sized stars was placed instead of the British flag. The ordinance read: "The flag of the thirteen United States consists of 13 alternating stripes of red and white and 13 white stars on a blue field, representing a new constellation." And George Washington explained the design in his own way: “We took the stars from heaven, red is the color of our homeland, the white stripes that separate it mean that we have separated from it; these white stripes will go down in history as a symbol of freedom. " June 14 is celebrated in the United States as Flag Day.
The authorship of the first Stars and Stripes flag has not been documented. Historians believe that it was Francis Hopkinson, one of the "founding fathers" who signed the Declaration of Independence, who made the changes to the design of the Continental Flag.
First USA flag
First United States flag designed by Francis Hopkinson
In the USA, a very popular and beloved story about a seamstress from Philadelphia - Betsy Ross, who, according to legend, sewed the first American flag.
Tradition says that in June 1776, Betsy Ross was invited to a meeting with the participation of US President George Washington, the financier George Ross and Colonel Robert Morris, who was her late husband's uncle. At the meeting, she was presented with a draft of the US flag, which had to be executed for the upcoming proclamation of independence. The original design of the flag assumed hexagonal stars, which seemed easier to sew. But Betsy suggested depicting the stars as five-pointed, and as proof of her skill she carved such stars with scissors. Impressed by what they saw, the committee accepted her proposal.

Americans are very proud of their national flag. The banner was even given several unofficial nicknames - for example, "Old Glory" or "Stars and Stripes". Many beautiful legends and traditions are also associated with him. The US flag is really quite remarkable. First, it is one of the oldest in the world, second only to the flags of Great Britain and France. Secondly, the tones in which it is painted are much darker than the colors traditionally used for the flags of other countries. This strangeness is explained by the fact that in the 18th century (when the Stars and Stripes banner appeared) there were still no sufficiently persistent dyes. We had to take the darkest colors so that the flag would not fade in the sun for as long as possible.

Today, the American flag is one of the most recognized and replicated symbols in the world.

American Revolution Banners

The history of the US flag begins almost 250 years ago. The need for their own flag for the American colonists arose only during the War of Independence from Great Britain (1775-1783). One of the standards of the army of George Washington, the future first president of the United States, became the banner of the new state. However, a variety of banners fluttered over the shelves of Washington, each of which, under certain circumstances, could today crown the roof of the White House. An alternative to Stars and Stripes could be:

The Gadsden flag, named after its creator, Colonel Christopher Gadsden. This unusual banner is a yellow banner, which depicts a rattlesnake preparing to attack, and under it is a warning: "Do not step on me." After the 2001 New York terrorist attack, the rattlesnake flag with a background of red and white stripes was used as a jack by the US Navy. It was a kind of response to world terrorism. Also, the classic Gadsden flag is often raised by representatives of radical political movements.
Continental flag. Paradoxically, in some sectors of the front, the war against Great Britain was fought under the British flag: the Continental banner is a fragment of the flag of the United Kingdom, placed against a background of 13 red and white stripes. The stripes were supposed to symbolize the first 13 American colonies.
"The tree of freedom". The banner is a green pine tree depicted on a white background, above which the inscription: "Turning to heaven" is displayed. The American white pine variety was highly prized in England. As a result, all trees of this species were declared the property of the British crown, and the colonists were strictly forbidden to cut pine trees for their own needs. In 1772, the Pine Riot took place in the colonies against royal prohibitions. Since then, the American white pine has been called the "Tree of Liberty."

What do the stars and stripes on the US flag mean?

After the outbreak of the American Revolution, various modifications of the Continental flag were used as the unofficial state banner in different states. The first known common American version of the banner appeared in 1776. The flag was named after its legendary creator, seamstress Betsy Ross. According to legend, the girl was invited to a meeting to discuss the new banner. George Washington decided to keep 13 stripes, and replace the fragment of the British flag with a blue field with thirteen white six-pointed stars arranged in a circle. Betsy refined this variation slightly by making the stars five-pointed. Although this legend is not very believable, it is loved by all Americans, and Betsy Ross has become a real symbol of the struggle against the British Empire.

However, the Betsy Ross flag was not destined to become the official flag of the states. On June 14, 1777, the US Congress approved a single flag design. According to the law, the banner had to have 13 longitudinal stripes and 13 arranged in rows of stars. The authorship of the flag is attributed to the lawyer Francis Hopkinson, however, this standard existed long before 1777 and was used by the US Navy. According to George Washington himself, the stripes on the flag meant independence from Great Britain. Red is the color of the British Crown and white is the color of freedom. The stars meant the union of 13 independent colonies. Since then, June 14 has become a national holiday for all Americans.

However, the history of the US flag did not end there. The number of stars on the banner increased all the time as new states became part of the state. In total, the flag was redesigned 26 times. The last change was made in 1960 after Hawaii became part of the United States. Since then, the American banner has 50 stars. However, not so long ago, another version of the flag was developed - already with 51 stars. But the number of stripes in all 250 years was changed only once. The flag of 1795-1818, which was used after the annexation of Vermont and Kentucky, had 15 stripes. However, during the next modernization of the flag, it was decided to remove two new stripes.

In the 1860s, an event occurred that could not only change the history of the states, but also the flag of this state. During these years, there was a civil war, also known as the North-South War. During the conflict, the southern states seceded from the United States and created their own Confederation. The army of each of the states of the Confederation went into battle under its own banner, however, the "Southern Cross" became the most famous standard of the southerners. This banner was a blue diagonal cross with thirteen white stars depicted on a red background. To this day, Americans are ambivalent about the Confederate flag. If for some this banner is part of a glorious past, for others it is a symbol of xenophobia and racial hatred.

A new draft of the flag has been prepared. The modern flag was approved on July 4, 1960. It is noteworthy that each new flag in the United States is adopted on July 4th.

US flag residents of the states call "Stars and Stripes", which means: "Stars and Stripes".

Among the state flags of the countries of the world, it is one of the most changeable.

Description

The US flag is a rectangular cloth with thirteen white and red alternating stripes. The roof contains a blue rectangle with 50 white stars. Has an aspect ratio of 10:19.

Symbolism

Red symbolizes valor.
Blue means diligence and vigilance.
White is the color of innocence and purity.
Thirteen stripes represent the original number of states that formed the state.
The 50 stars represent the number of states, although there are currently 50 states and one federal district in the United States.

Flag Width: A = 1
Flag length: B = 1.9
Width of the region of stars: C = 0.5385 (A x 7/13, occupies seven stripes)
Length of the region of stars: D = 0.76 (B × 2/5, two-fifths of the length of the flag)
E = F = 0.0538 (C / 10, one-tenth the width of a region of stars)
G = H = 0.0633 (D / 12, one-twelfth the length of the region of stars)
Star diameter: K = 0.0616
Band width: L = 0.0769 (A / 13, one thirteenth of the flag's width)

The president's flag is analogous to the standard.

Historical flags of the USA

Flag of the colony of Britain on the Atlantic coast, 1775

John Paul and his pirate flag

In 1773 he became a captain in the West Indies. During this period, he accumulated fixed capital.

In 1776 he begins to pirate off the coast of Britain. In 1779 he attacked the city of Liverpool. Since 1788 he has served in the Russian Empire's navy. In the same year, he took part in the Russian-Turkish war, leading a squadron. In 1792 he was appointed US Consul in Algeria. In the same year, he unexpectedly dies. John Paul is buried in the USA.

The first flag of the United States is considered to be the Continental Flag, raised on December 2, 1775 by Lieutenant John Paul Jones on the ship "Alfred" in Philadelphia Harbor.

The flag for "Alfred" was made by Margaret Manny. The canvas consisted of 13 red and white equal horizontal stripes with 13 white eight-pointed stars on a blue background.

Flags of the USA 1777

In 1777, for the United States, it was marked by such an event as the Second Continental Congress. The de facto Second Continental Congress became the national government during the American Revolutionary War. The United States includes the following states: New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Delaware. The United States during this period used three types of flags, the most famous of which was the Betsy Ross flag.

Historians still disagree on the authorship of the US flag. There is a legend according to which the first flag of the state was made by Betsy Rossi. Currently, her image is still popularized in the United States. She is an example of patriotism.

There are alternative versions of the 1777 US flag:

These flags lasted 18 years.

The flag was adopted on May 1, 1795 and existed for 23 years. Two stars were added to the flag, which symbolized the addition of two new states to the state: Vermont and Kentucky.