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Flag of the United States



 
 
The flag
Flag

A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or Mast , generally used symbolically for signaling 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....
 of the United States
consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red
Red

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?740 Nanometer....
 (top and bottom) alternating with white
White

White is a color, the Color vision#Physiology of color perception which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in near equal amount and with high brightness compared to the surroundings....
, with a blue
Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440?490 Nanometre....
 rectangle in the canton
Flag terminology

The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon....
 bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed star
Star (symbol)

The star , as an ideograph, most commonly represents the astronomy star for which it is named....
s arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The fifty stars on the flag represent the fifty U.S. states
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 and the thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
 that rebelled against the British Crown
British monarchy

The Monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its British overseas territory.The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, has reigned since 6 February 1952....
 and became the first states in the Union.






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Encyclopedia


The flag
Flag

A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or Mast , generally used symbolically for signaling 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....
 of the United States
consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red
Red

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?740 Nanometer....
 (top and bottom) alternating with white
White

White is a color, the Color vision#Physiology of color perception which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in near equal amount and with high brightness compared to the surroundings....
, with a blue
Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440?490 Nanometre....
 rectangle in the canton
Flag terminology

The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon....
 bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed star
Star (symbol)

The star , as an ideograph, most commonly represents the astronomy star for which it is named....
s arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The fifty stars on the flag represent the fifty U.S. states
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 and the thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
 that rebelled against the British Crown
British monarchy

The Monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its British overseas territory.The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, has reigned since 6 February 1952....
 and became the first states in the Union. Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and The Star-Spangled Banner (also the name of the national anthem
The Star-Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from a poem written in 1814 by then 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key who wrote "Defence of Fort McHenry" after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland, Maryland, by Royal Navy ships in the Chesapeake Bay during th...
).

Because of its symbolism, the starred blue canton is called the "union". This part of the flag can stand alone as a maritime flag
Maritime flag

A 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....
 called the Union Jack
Jack of the United States

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 United States Navy is a prime user of jacks, but they are also used by ships of the United States Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other gover...
. Compared to the flags of many other nations, the flag of the United States is notably complex, leading to expressions such as Huaqíguó ("flower flag nation"), a Chinese name for America used in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Symbolism

The flag of the United States is one of the nation's most widely recognized symbols. Within the U.S. it is frequently displayed, not only on public buildings, but on private residences. It is also used as a motif on 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 ideas.

Many understand the flag to represent the national government established in the U.S. Constitution
United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
, the rights of the citizens promised in the Bill of Rights
United States Bill of Rights

In the United States, the Bill of Rights is the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known. They were introduced by James Madison to the First United States Congress in 1789 as a series of constitutional amendments, and came into effect on December 15, 1791, when they had been United_States_Constitution...
, and perhaps most of all to be a symbol of individual and personal liberty as set forth in the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence

The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the Thirteen Colonies then at war with Kingdom of Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire....
. The flag is a complex and contentious symbol, around which emotions run high.

Apart from the numbers of stars and stripes representing the number of current and original states, respectively, and the union with its stars representing a constellation
Constellation

A constellation is a group of stars that appear to have a physical proximity in the sky. The stars in a constellation are often vastly distant from each other, but they appear close to each other from the perspective of Earth....
, there is no legally defined symbolism to the colors and shapes on the flag. However, folk theories and traditions abound; for example, that the stripes refer to rays of sunlight and that the stars refer to the heavens, the highest place that a person could aim to reach.

Design


Specifications


The basic design of the current flag is specified by ; outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states. The specification gives the following values:

  • Hoist (width) of the flag: A = 1.0
  • Fly (length) of the flag: B = 1.9
  • Hoist (width) of the Union: C = 0.5385 (A x 7/13, spanning seven stripes)
  • Fly (length) of the Union: D = 0.76 (B × 2/5, two fifths of the flag length)
  • E = F = 0.0538 (C/10, One tenth the height of the field of Stars)
  • G = H = 0.0633 (D/12, One twelfth the width of the field of Stars)
  • Diameter of star: K = 0.0616
  • Width of stripe: L = 0.0769 (A/13, One thirteenth of the flag width)


These specifications are contained in an executive order which, strictly speaking, governs only flags made for or by the U.S. federal government. In practice, however, virtually all U.S. national flags adhere to these specifications, or close to them.

Colors

, as used on U.S. military
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
 camouflage uniforms.]] The exact shades of red, white, and blue to be used in the flag are specified as follows:

Color Cable color
Cable colors

Cable colors are a set of color codes used in making fabrics with specific shades. The cable colors were created by The Color Association of the United States....
Pantone
Pantone

Pantone Inc. is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System , a proprietary color space...
Web Color
Web colors

Web colors are colors used in designing world wide web pages, and the methods for describing and specifying those colors.Authors of web pages have a variety of options available for specifying colors for elements of web documents....
RGB Values
70180 193 C #BF0A30 (191,10,48)
70001 Safe #FFFFFF (255,255,255)
70075 281 C #002868 (0,40,104)


The 49- and 50-star unions

When Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
 and Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
 were being considered for statehood in the 1950s, more than 1,500 designs were spontaneously submitted to President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David ?Ike? Eisenhower was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a General of the Army in the United States Army....
. 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. At the time, credit was given by the executive department to the United States Army Institute of Heraldry
United States Army Institute of Heraldry

The United States Army Institute of Heraldry furnishes heraldic services to the Armed Forces and other United States government organizations, including the Executive Office of the President....
 for the design.

Of these proposals, one created by 18-year old Robert G. Heft
Robert G. Heft

Robert G. Heft is a designer of the Flag of the United States, and one of the proposed designs for a U.S. 51-star flag for the United States. He spent his childhood in Lancaster, Ohio, Ohio, where he created the flag as a school project....
 in 1958 as a school project has received the most publicity. 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. He got an A.

Decoration

Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with golden
Gold (color)

Gold, also called golden, is an orange -yellow color which is a representation of the color of the chemical element gold. Metallic gold, such as in paint, is often called goldtone or gold-tone....
 fringe
Fringe (trim)

Fringe is an ornamental textile trim applied to an edge of an items, such as drapery, a flag, epaulettes, or decorative tassel.Fringe originates in the ends of the warp, projecting beyond the woven Textile....
 surrounding the perimeter of the flag as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the flag, such as those in parade
Parade

A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float or sometimes large balloons....
s or on indoor posts, often use fringe to enhance the beauty of the flag. The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe, but a 1925 opinion of the attorney general
United States Attorney General

The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the government of the United States....
 addresses the use of fringe (and the number of stars) "...is at the discretion of the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy..." as quoted from footnote in previous volumes of Title 4 of the United States Code
Title 4 of the United States Code

Title 4 of the United States Code outlines the role of Flag of the United States, Great Seal of the United States, Washington, DC, and the U.S. state in the United States Code....
 law books and is a source for claims that such a flag is a military ensign not civilian. However, according to the Army Institute of Heraldry, which has official custody of the flag designs and makes any change ordered, there are no implications of symbolism in the use of fringe. Several federal courts have upheld this conclusion.

Display and use

at Christmas
Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
 time decorated with the American flag.]]

The flag is customarily flown year-round at 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
Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S....
, Veterans Day
Veterans Day

Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11....
, Presidents' Day, Flag Day
Flag Day in the United States

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Continental Congress in 1777....
, 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. Also on Memorial Day it is common to fly the flag at half staff in remembrance of those who lost their lives in war while fighting for the U.S.

Flag etiquette

The United States Flag Code
United States Flag Code

The United States Flag Code establishes advisory rules for display and care of the flag of the United States. It is Section 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code ....
 outlines certain guidelines for the use, display, and disposal of the flag. For example, the flag should never be dipped to any person or thing, unless it is the ensign
Ensign

An ensign is a distinguishing flag of a ship or a military unit; or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office. The word has also given rise to the military Ensign , a rank of junior officer once responsible for bearing the ensign of his unit....
 responding to a salute from a ship of a foreign nation. (This tradition may come from the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics

The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, where countries were asked to dip their flag to King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910....
: the American flag bearer did not. Team captain Martin Sheridan
Martin Sheridan

Martin Joseph Sheridan , was "one of the greatest athletes this country has ever known" according to his obituary in the New York Times. He was born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland and died in St....
 is famously quoted as saying "this flag dips to no earthly king", though the true provenance of this quotation is unclear.).]]

The flag should never be allowed to touch the ground and, if flown at night, must be illuminated. If the edges become tattered through wear, the flag should be repaired or replaced. When a flag is so tattered that can no longer serve as a symbol of the United States, it should be destroyed in a dignified manner, preferably by burning. The American Legion and other organizations regularly conduct dignified flag-burning ceremonies, often on Flag Day, June 14. It is a common myth that if a flag touches the ground or becomes soiled, it must be burned as well. While a flag that is currently touching the ground and a soiled flag are unfit for display, neither situation is permanent and thus the flag does not need to be burned if the unfit situation is remedied.

Significantly, the Flag Code
Flag code

Flag code can refer to:* Maritime signal flags* United States Flag Code...
 proscribes using the flag "for any advertising
Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to Purchasing or to consume more of a particular brand of Product or Service ....
 purpose" and also states that the flag "should not be embroidered, printed, or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use". Both of these prohibitions are widely flouted, almost always without comment.

Although 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
First Amendment to the United States Constitution

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws "Establishment Clause of the First Amendment" or that prohibit the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, laws that infringe the Freedom of speech in the United State...
 right to freedom of speech
Freedom of speech

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to denote not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used....
. Passage of the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment
Flag Desecration Amendment

The Flag Desecration Amendment, often referred to as the flag burning amendment, is a controversial proposed constitutional amendment to the United States Constitution that would allow the United States Congress to statutorily prohibit expression of political views through the physical desecration of the flag of the United States....
 would overrule legal precedent that has been established.

Display on vehicles and uniforms

When the flag is affixed to the side of a vehicle or uniform, it should be oriented so that the union is towards the front. This is done to give the impression that the flag is blowing backwards from its hoist as the vehicle or wearer moves forward. Therefore, U.S. flag decals (or patches) on the right sides of vehicles (or uniforms) may appear to be "reversed", with the union to the observer's right instead of left as more commonly seen.

Places of continuous display

By presidential proclamation, acts of Congress, and custom, American flags are displayed continuously at certain locations.

  • Replicas of the Star Spangled Banner Flag
    Star Spangled Banner Flag

    The Star-Spangled Banner Flag or the Great Garrison Flag is the garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the naval portion of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812....
     (15 stars, 15 stripes) are flown at two sites in Baltimore
    Baltimore, Maryland

    Baltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland in the United States. Baltimore is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay....
    , Maryland
    Maryland

    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
    : Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
    Fort McHenry

    Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a Star fort best known for its role in the War of 1812 when it successfully defended Inner Harbor from an attack by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Royal Navy in the Chesapeake Bay....
     and Flag House Square.
  • United States Marine Corps War Memorial
    USMC War Memorial

    The Marine Corps War Memorial also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, is a War memorial statue located near the Arlington National Cemetery and the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia, United States....
     (Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
    Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

    Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marine Corps and a United States Navy Hospital Corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II....
    ), Arlington, Virginia
    Virginia

    The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
  • Lexington
    Lexington, Massachusetts

    Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,355 at the 2000 census.The town is famous for being the site of the opening shots of the American Revolution, in the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775....
    , Massachusetts
    Massachusetts

    The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
     Town Green
  • The White House
    White House

    The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian architecture and has been the executive residence of every U.S....
    , Washington, DC
  • Fifty U.S. Flags are displayed continuously at the Washington Monument
    Washington Monument

    The Washington Monument is a large, tall, sand-colored obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is a United States Presidential Memorial constructed to commemorate the first U.S....
    , Washington, DC., Washington, DC.]]
  • At U.S. Customs and Border Protection
    U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing hundreds of U.S....
     Ports of Entry that are continuously open.
  • By Congressional decree, a Civil War era flag (for the year 1863) flies above Pennsylvania Hall
    Pennsylvania Hall (Gettysburg)

    Pennsylvania Hall, also known as Old Dorm, is the central administrative building of Gettysburg College. Constructed in 1838, it is the college's oldest building....
     (Old Dorm) at Gettysburg College
    Gettysburg College

    Gettysburg College is a private national four-year Liberal arts colleges in the United States founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the famous Gettysburg Battlefield....
    . This building, occupied by both sides at various points of the Battle of Gettysburg
    Battle of Gettysburg

    The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
    , served as a lookout and battlefield hospital.
  • Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge NHP
    Valley Forge National Historical Park

    Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site where the Continental Army spent the winter of 1777–1778 near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolutionary War....
    , Valley Forge
    Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

    The Village of Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement located on the west side of Valley Forge National Historical Park at the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River....
    , Pennsylvania
    Pennsylvania

    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
  • Mount Slover limestone quarry (Colton Liberty Flag
    Colton Liberty Flag

    The Colton Liberty Flag is an Flag of the United States which is flown continuously over Mt. Slover in Colton, California. The flag was first raised by the California Portland Cement Company on July 4, 1917, to commemorate the entrance of the United States into World War I and the expected increased demand for cement that would come with it....
    ), in Colton
    Colton, California

    Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, California, United States. The population was 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the site of Colton Crossing, one of the busiest at-grade railroad crossings in the United States....
    , California
    California

    California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
    . First raised July 4, 1917.
  • Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment
    Middlebrook encampment

    The Middlebrook encampment refers to the seasonal encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War at a site near Martinsville, New Jersey that straddles the ridge of the First Watchung Mountains....
    , Bridgewater, New Jersey
    New Jersey

    New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
    , Thirteen Star Flag. (Act of Congress.)
  • By custom, at the Maryland
    Maryland

    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
     home, birthplace, and grave of Francis Scott Key
    Francis Scott Key

    Francis Scott Key was an United States lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, Washington, D.C., who wrote the words to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."...
    ; at the Worcester
    Worcester, Massachusetts

    Worcester is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts in the United States. A 2006 estimate put the population at 175,898, making it the estimated second-largest city in New England, after Boston, Massachusetts....
    , Massachusetts
    Massachusetts

    The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
    , war memorial; at the plaza
    Taos Plaza

    Taos Plaza is a center of shops and monuments in Taos, New Mexico....
     in Taos
    Taos, New Mexico

    Taos is a town in Taos County, New Mexico in the north-central region of New Mexico. In New Mexico, a municipality may call itself a village, town, or city ....
    , New Mexico
    New Mexico

    New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
     (since 1861); at the United States Capitol
    United States Capitol

    The United States Capitol serves as the seat of government for the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States....
     (since 1918); and at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood
    Deadwood, South Dakota

    Deadwood, named for the coarse woody habitat found in its gulch, is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, South Dakota, South Dakota, United States....
    , South Dakota
    South Dakota

    South Dakota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota people and Sioux Sioux Native Americans in the United States tribes....
    .
  • At the ceremonial south pole
    South Pole

    The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's rotation intersects the surface....
     as one of the 12 flags representing the signatory countries of the original Antarctic Treaty.
  • The surface of the Moon
    Moon

    The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
    , having been placed there by the astronauts of Apollo 11
    Apollo 11

    The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. It was the fifth human spaceflight of Apollo program and the third human voyage to the Moon....
    , Apollo 12
    Apollo 12

    Apollo 12 was the sixth manned mission in the Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon....
    , Apollo 14
    Apollo 14

    Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the Moon. The 9 day mission was launched on January 31 1971, with lunar touch down on February 5....
    , Apollo 15
    Apollo 15

    Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fourth mission to land on the Moon. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous missions....
    , Apollo 16
    Apollo 16

    Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program, the fifth mission to land on the Moon and the first to land in the highlands area....
     and Apollo 17
    Apollo 17

    Apollo 17 was the eleventh Human spaceflight in the NASA Apollo program. It was the first night launch of a United States human spaceflight and the sixth and final lunar landing mission of the Apollo program....
    .
  • Nashville National Cemetery
    Nashville National Cemetery

    Nashville National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Madison, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County, Tennessee....


Particular days for display

The flag should especially be displayed at full staff on the following days:

  • January: 1 (New Year's Day
    New Year's Day

    New Year's Day is the first day of the new year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome ....
    ) and 20 (Inauguration Day)
  • February: 12 (Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery....
    's birthday) and the third Monday (Presidents' Day
    Presidents' Day

    Presidents' Day may refer to:* Presidents' Day , a holiday in Botswana on July 19* Presidents Day , a federal holiday in the United States on the third Monday of February...
    , originally Washington
    George Washington

    George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
    's birthday)
  • May: Third Saturday (Armed Forces Day) and last Monday (Memorial Day
    Memorial Day

    Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S....
    ; half-staff until noon)
  • June: 14 (Flag Day
    Flag Day in the United States

    In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Continental Congress in 1777....
    )
  • July: 4 (Independence Day
    Independence Day (United States)

    In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain....
    )
  • September: First Monday (Labor Day
    Labor Day

    Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September . The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union sought to create "a day off for the working citizens"....
    ),11 (Patriot Day
    Patriot Day

    In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year, designated in memory of the nearly September 11 attacks#Casualties who died in the September 11 attacks....
    ), and 17 (Constitution
    United States Constitution

    The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
     Day)
raises the United States Flag on the surface of the moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
 during the Apollo 14
Apollo 14

Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the Moon. The 9 day mission was launched on January 31 1971, with lunar touch down on February 5....
 mission.]]
  • October: Second Monday (Columbus
    Christopher Columbus

    Christopher Columbus was a Republic of Genoa navigator, colonialist and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean?funded by Queen Isabella of Spain?led to general European awareness of the America in the Western Hemisphere....
     Day) and 28 (Navy Day)
  • November: November 11 (Veterans Day
    Veterans Day

    Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11....
    ) and fourth Thursday (Thanksgiving Day)
  • and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States
    President of the United States

    The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
    ; the birthdays of states (date of admission); and on state holidays.


Display at half staff

The flag is displayed at half staff as a sign of respect or mourning. Nationwide, this action is proclaimed by the president; 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
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David ?Ike? Eisenhower was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a General of the Army in the United States Army....
 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.

To properly fly the flag at half staff, the protocol is to first hoist it briskly to full staff, then reverently (slowly) lower it to half staff. Similarly, when the flag is to be lowered from half staff, it should be first hoisted briskly to full staff, then lowered reverently to the base of the flagpole.

Federal guidelines state the flag should be flown at half staff at the following dates/times:
  • May 15 - Peace Officers Memorial Day
    Peace Officers Memorial Day

    Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and federal law enforcement officers....
  • The week in which May 15 occurs - Police Week
  • Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
    Memorial Day

    Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S....
     (until noon)
  • July 27 - Korean War Veterans Day (expired 2003)
  • September 11 - Patriot Day
    Patriot Day

    In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year, designated in memory of the nearly September 11 attacks#Casualties who died in the September 11 attacks....
  • First Sunday in October - Start of Fire Prevention Week
  • December 7 - Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
  • For 30 days - Death of a president or former president
  • For 10 days - Death of a vice president, Supreme Court chief justice/retired chief justice, or speaker of the House of Representatives.
  • From death until the day of interment - Supreme Court associate justice, member of the Cabinet, former vice president, president pro-tempore of the Senate, or the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives. Also for federal facilities within a state or territory, for the governor.
  • On the day after the death - Senators, members of Congress, territorial delegates or the resident commissioner of the commonwealth of Puerto Rico


Folding for storage

Though not part of the official Flag Code, according to military custom flags should be folded into a triangular shape when not in use. (The Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, a former American territory
Overseas expansion of the United States

United States overseas expansion follows the expansion of U.S. frontiers on the North American continent , in particular during the "Age of Imperialism", the later part of the nineteenth century and ending with WWI, when all the major powers rapidly expanded their overseas territories....
, also has this custom for folding its flag.) To properly fold the flag:

  1. Begin by holding it waist-high with another person so that its surface is parallel to the ground.
  2. Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges securely.
  3. Fold the flag again lengthwise with the blue field on the outside.
  4. Make a rectangular fold then a triangular fold by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to meet the open top edge of the flag. Starting the fold from the left side over to the right
  5. Turn the outer end point inward, parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.
  6. The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner (usually thirteen triangular folds, as shown at right). On the final fold, any remnant that does not neatly fold into a triangle (or in the case of exactly even folds, the last triangle) is tucked into the previous fold.
  7. When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field of stars should be visible.


Use in funerals

Traditionally, the flag of the United States plays a role in military funeral
Military funeral

A military funeral is a funeral given by a country's military for a veteran, a soldier who died in battle, or another prominent military figure....
s, and occasionally in those over other civil servants (such as the President). A burial flag is draped over the deceased's casket as a pall
Pall (cloth)

A pall is a cloth which covers a casket at funerals. The word comes from the Latin pallium , through Old English.The use of a rich cloth pall to cover the coffin during the funeral grew during the Middle Ages; initially these were brightly coloured and patterned, only later black, and later still white....
 during services. Just prior to the casket being lowered into the ground, the flag is ceremonially folded and presented to the deceased's next of kin as a token of respect.

History

The flag has been changed 26 times since the new, 13-state union adopted it. The 48-star version went unchanged for 47 years, until the 49-star version became official on July 4, 1959 (the first July 4 following Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
's admission to the union on January 3, 1959); the 47-year-record of the 48-star version was the longest time the flag went unmodified until July 4, 2007, when the current 50-star version of the Flag of the United States broke the record.

First flag

At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, the United States had no official national flag. The Grand Union Flag
Grand Union Flag

File:Grand Union Flag.svgFile:Grand-Union-Flag.jpgFile:1885 History of US flags med.jpgThe Grand Union Flag, also known as the Congress flag, the First Navy Ensign, the Cambridge Flag, and the Continental Colors, is considered to be the first national flag of the United States....
 has historically been referred to as the "First National Flag"; although it has never had any official status, it was used early in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 by George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
 and formed the basis for the design of the first official U.S. flag. The origins of the design are unclear. It closely resembles the British East India Company
British East India Company

The East India Company was an early England joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the Indies, but that ended up trading with the Indian subcontinent and China....
 (BEIC) flag of the same era, and an argument dating to Sir Charles Fawcett
Charles Fawcett

Sir Charles Fawcett was a United Kingdom History. He served in the Indian Civil Service whilst India was a part of the British Empire. He published a number of articles and books related to Indian history and was an expert on the British East India Company....
 in 1937 holds that the BEIC flag indeed inspired the design. However, the BEIC flag could have from 9 to 13 stripes, and was not allowed to be flown outside the Indian Ocean. Both flags could have been easily constructed by adding white stripes to a British Red Ensign
Red Ensign

The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is a flag that originated in the early 17th century as a British ensign flown by the Royal Navy and later specifically by British merchantmen....
, a common flag throughout Britain and its colonies. ]] 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
Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
, which consisted of a shield "argent, two bars gules, above, three mullets gules" (a white shield with two red bars below three red stars). However, there is no proof that this is true and the theory is widely discredited. Washington was not involved with the committee that designed the flag in 1777, and in heraldic terms there is very little connection between the two designs. Moreover, the sequence by which the flag evolved belies any influence of the Washington arms. More likely it was based on a flag of the Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty

The Sons of Liberty was a secret organization of Patriot which originated in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. Kingdom of Great Britain authorities and their supporters known as Loyalist considered the Sons of Liberty as seditious rebels, referring to them as "Sons of Violence" and "Sons of Iniquity." Patriots attacked t...
, one of which consisted of 13 red and white alternating horizontal stripes.


The Flag Resolution of 1777

On June 14, 1777, the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress
Continental Congress

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
 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
Flag Day in the United States

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Continental Congress in 1777....
 is now observed on June 14 of each year. A false tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June 1777 by the Continental Army
Continental Army

The American Continental Army was an army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 15, 1775, the army was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their struggle against the rule of Kingdom...
 at the Middlebrook encampment
Middlebrook encampment

The Middlebrook encampment refers to the seasonal encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War at a site near Martinsville, New Jersey that straddles the ridge of the First Watchung Mountains....
.

The 1777 resolution was probably meant to define a naval ensign, rather than a national flag. It appears between other resolutions from the Marine Committee. On May 10, 1779, Secretary of the Board of War Richard Peters, Jr.
Richard Peters, Jr.

Richard Peters, Jr. was an United States lawyer, jurist, and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1782 and 1783....
 expressed concern "it is not yet settled what is the Standard of the United States."

The Flag Resolution did not specify any particular arrangement, number of points, nor orientation for the stars. The pictured flag shows 13 outwardly-oriented five-pointed stars arranged in a circle, the so-called Betsy Ross flag
Betsy Ross flag

File:US flag 13 stars ? Betsy Ross.svgFile:Betsy-Ross-Flag.jpgThe Betsy Ross flag is an early design of the American flag popularly attributed to Betsy Ross using the common motifs of alternating red-and-white striped field with white stars in a blue canton....
. Although the Betsy Ross legend is not taken seriously by many historians, the design itself is the oldest version of any U.S. flag known to exist; it is not the oldest surviving flag artifact in cloth form, but its likeness appears on older physical relics, namely, the contemporary battlefield paintings by John Trumbull and Charles Willson Peale. They depict the circular star arrangement, and thus provide the first known historical documentation on the flag's appearance. Popular designs at the time were varied and most were individually crafted rather than mass-produced. Other examples of 13-star arrangements can be found on the Francis Hopkinson flag
Francis Hopkinson

File:Francis Hopkinson sepia print.jpgFile:Francis Hopkinson signature.pngFrancis Hopkinson , an United States author, was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey....
, the Cowpens flag
Cowpens flag

File:Cowpens Flag.svgFile:Sprit of '76.2.jpegThe Cowpens flag, or 3rd Maryland Regiment flag, is an early version of the US flag that meets the congressional requirements of the US_flag#The_Flag_Resolution_of_1777....
, and the Brandywine flag
Brandywine flag

File:Brandywine Flag.svgThe Brandywine flag was a banner carried by Captain Robert Wilson's company of the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment. The company flag received the name after it was used in the Battle of Brandywine, 11 September 1777....
. Given the scant archaeological and written evidence, it is unknown which design was the most popular at that time.

Despite the 1777 resolution, a number of flags only loosely based on the prescribed design were used in the early years of American independence. One example may have been the Guilford Court House Flag
Guilford Courthouse flag

File:Guilford Courthouse Flag.svgThe Guilford Courthouse flag is the name given to a North Carolina militia banner which was reported to have flown at the Guilford Courthouse....
, traditionally believed to have been carried by the American troops at the Battle of Guilford Court House
Battle of Guilford Court House

}|-||}The Battle of Guilford Court House was a battle fought on March 15, 1781 inside the present-day city of Greensboro, North Carolina, during the American Revolutionary War....
 in 1781.

The origin of the stars and stripes design cannot be fully documented. A popular story credits Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross

File:RossBetsy.jpgBetsy Ross , of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been widely credited with making the first American flag....
 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
Star Spangled Banner Flag

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag or the Great Garrison Flag is the garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the naval portion of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812....
.

It is likely that Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson

File:Francis Hopkinson sepia print.jpgFile:Francis Hopkinson signature.pngFrancis Hopkinson , an United States author, was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey....
 of New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence

This article is about declarations of independence in general. Specific declarations of independence are listed below in alphabetical order. For the painting of this name, see Trumbull's Declaration of Independence....
, designed the 1777 flag while he was the Chairman of the Continental Navy Board's Middle Department, sometime between his appointment to that position in November 1776 and the time that the flag resolution was adopted in June 1777. This contradicts the Betsy Ross legend, which suggests that she sewed the first Stars and Stripes flag by request of the government in the Spring of 1776. 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
In 1795, the number of stars and stripes was increased from 13 to 15 (to reflect the entry of Vermont and Kentucky as states of the union). For a time the flag was not changed when subsequent states were admitted, probably because it was thought that this would cause too much clutter. It was the 15-star, 15-stripe flag that inspired Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key

Francis Scott Key was an United States lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, Washington, D.C., who wrote the words to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."...
 to write "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from a poem written in 1814 by then 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key who wrote "Defence of Fort McHenry" after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland, Maryland, by Royal Navy ships in the Chesapeake Bay during th...
," now the national anthem
National anthem

A national anthem is a generally patriotism musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people....
.

On April 4, 1818, a plan was passed by Congress at the suggestion of U.S. Naval Captain Samuel C. Reid 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 13 to honor the original colonies
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
. 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
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
 gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
 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.

The "Flower Flag" arrives in Asia

The U.S. flag was brought to the city of Canton
Canton

Canton may refer to:...
 (Guangzhou) in China in 1785 by the merchant ship Empress of China, which carried a cargo of ginseng
Ginseng

Ginseng refers to species within Panax, a genus of 11 species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, in the family Araliaceae....
. There it gained the designation "Flower Flag." According to author and U.S. Naval officer George H. Preble
George H. Preble

George Henry Preble was an United States naval officer and writer, notable for his history of the flag of the United States and for taking the first photograph of the Fort McHenry flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner....
:

The above names are Cantonese
Cantonese

Cantonese generally refers to people or things associated with a region around the Chinese province of Guangdong or its capital, Guangzhou.* Cantonese, a branch of the Chinese language family, spoken in Guangdong and neighboring provinces...
. In Mandarin
Mandarin

Mandarin may refer to any of the following:...
, the majority Chinese language, "Flower Flag Nation" is Huaqíguó. These names were common usage in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Other Asian nations have equivalent terms for America, for example Hoa K?
Hoa K?

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 ("Flower Flag") in Vietnam. In modern times, Chinese refer to America as Meiguó ("beautiful country"). Mei represents the sound of the second syllable of "America" and is thus unrelated to the flag.

The U.S. flag took its first trip around the world in 1787-90 on board the Columbia. William Driver
William Driver

William Driver was a United States ship captain. He coined the phrase Old Glory for the United States flag.As a birthday present, young Capt....
, who coined phrase Old Glory, took the U.S. flag around the world in 1831-32. The flag attracted the notice of Japanese when an oversized version was carried to Yokohama
Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kanto region of the main island of Honshu. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area....
 by the steamer Great Republic as part of a round-the-world journey in 1871.

Historical progression of designs

In the following table depicting the 28 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
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
. Canton designs, prior to the proclamation of the 48-star flag by President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice of the United States, a leader of the progressive conservative wing of the History of the United States Republican Party in the early 20th century, a pioneer in international arbitration and staunch advocate of world pe...
 on October 29, 1935, had no official arrangement of the stars. Furthermore, the exact colors of the flag were not standardized until 1934.
No. of
Stars
No. of
Stripes
Design States Represented
by New Stars
Dates in Use Duration
0 13 N/A December 3, 1775–June 14, 1777 1 1/2 years
(18 months)
13 13 Delaware
Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the East Coast of the United States in the Mid-Atlantic States region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
, New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
,
Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, Connecticut
Connecticut

Connecticut is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The state borders New York to the west and south , Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
,
Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
, South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. The state was named after the southern English Counties of England of Hampshire....
,
Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
, New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a U.S. state in the New England region of the United States....
 
June 14, 1777–May 1, 1795 18 years
(215 months)
15 15 Kentucky
Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S. state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is normally included in the group of Southern United States , but it is uncommonly included, geographically and culturally, in the Midwestern United States....
, Vermont
Vermont

Vermont is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area....
 
May 1, 1795–July 3, 1818 23 years
(278 months)
20 13 Indiana
Indiana

The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....
, Louisiana
Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
, Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
,
Ohio
Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
 
July 4, 1818–July 3, 1819 1 year
(12 months)
21 13 Illinois
Illinois

The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation....
 
July 4, 1819–July 3, 1820 1 year
(12 months)
23 13 Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
, Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
 
July 4, 1820–July 3, 1822 2 years
(24 months)
24 13 Missouri
Missouri

Missouri is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska....
 
July 4, 1822–July 3, 1836 14 years
(168 months)
25 13 Arkansas
Arkansas

Arkansas is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States of the United States. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River....
 
July 4, 1836–July 3, 1837 1 year
(12 months)
26 13 Michigan
Michigan

Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
 
July 4, 1837–July 3, 1845 8 years
(96 months)
27 13 Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 
July 4, 1845–July 3, 1846 1 year
(12 months)
28 13 Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
 
July 4, 1846–July 3, 1847 1 year
(12 months)
29 13 Iowa
Iowa

The State of Iowa is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It is bordered by Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Nebraska and South Dakota to the west, and Missouri to the south....
 
July 4, 1847–July 3, 1848 1 year
(12 months)
30 13 Wisconsin
Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. state in the United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States. It borders two of the five Great Lakes and four U.S....
 
July 4, 1848–July 3, 1851 3 years
(36 months)
31 13 California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 
July 4, 1851–July 3, 1858 7 years
(84 months)
32 13 Minnesota
Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents....
 
July 4, 1858–July 3, 1859 1 year
(12 months)
33 13 Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
 
July 4, 1859–July 3, 1861 2 years
(24 months)
34 13 Kansas
Kansas

The State of Kansas is a Midwestern U.S. state in the Central United States of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the United States "Heartland"....
 
July 4, 1861–July 3, 1863 2 years
(24 months)
35 13 West Virginia
West Virginia

West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....
 
July 4, 1863–July 3, 1865 2 years
(24 months)
36 13 Nevada
Nevada

Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
 
July 4, 1865–July 3, 1867 2 years
(24 months)
37 13 Nebraska
Nebraska

Nebraska is a U.S. state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Western United States.Nebraska probably gets its name from the archaic Chiwere language words ?? Br?sge or the Omaha-Ponca language N? Bth?ska meaning "flat water," after the Platte River that flows through the state....
 
July 4, 1867–July 3, 1877 10 years
(120 months)
38 13 Colorado
Colorado

The State of Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Mountain States of the United States of America. Colorado may also be considered to be a part of the Western United States and Southwestern United States regions of the United States....
 
July 4, 1877–July 3, 1890 13 years
(156 months)
43 13 Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, Montana
Montana

Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....
, North Dakota
North Dakota

North Dakota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States and Western United States regions of the United States of America. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the US; it is the 48th most populous, with just over 640,000 residents as of 2006....
,
South Dakota
South Dakota

South Dakota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota people and Sioux Sioux Native Americans in the United States tribes....
, Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
 
July 4, 1890–July 3, 1891 1 year
(12 months)
44 13 Wyoming
Wyoming

The State of Wyoming is a sparsely populated U.S. state in the Northwestern United States of the United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains, while the easternmost section of the state is a high altitude prairie region known as the High Plains ....
 
July 4, 1891–July 3, 1896 5 years
(60 months)
45 13 Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
 
July 4, 1896–July 3, 1908 12 years
(144 months)
46 13 Oklahoma
Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a U.S. state and a sovereignty located in the South Central United States and Southern United States of the United States of America ....
 
July 4, 1908–July 3, 1912 4 years
(48 months)
48 13 Arizona
Arizona

The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
, New Mexico
New Mexico

New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
 
July 4, 1912–July 3, 1959 47 years
(564 months)
49 13 Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
 
July 4, 1959–July 3, 1960 1 year
(12 months)
50 13 Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
 
July 4, 1960–present years
( months)


Future of the flag


The United States Army Institute of Heraldry
United States Army Institute of Heraldry

The United States Army Institute of Heraldry furnishes heraldic services to the Armed Forces and other United States government organizations, including the Executive Office of the President....
 has plans for flags with up to 56 stars, using a similar staggered star arrangement should additional states accede. There are political movements supporting statehood in Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, among other areas
List of U.S. state secession proposals

This is a list of official or otherwise noteworthy proposals for dividing existing U.S. states into multiple states. It does not specifically address statewide or other movements to secede from the United States....
.

Similar national flags


The flag of Liberia
Flag of Liberia

File:Flag of Liberia.svgThe Liberian flag bears close resemblance to the flag of the United States, showing the ex-American slave origins of the country....
 bears a close resemblance, showing the ex-American-slave origin of the country. The Liberian flag has similar red and white stripes, though only 11 of them, as well as a blue square for the union, but with only a single large white star.

The flag of Malaysia
Flag of Malaysia

File:Flag of Malaysia.svgThe flag of Malaysia, also known as the Jalur Gemilang , comprises a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the Flag terminology and a blue Flag terminology bearing a Star and crescent known as the Bintang Persekutuan or Federal Star....
 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
Star and crescent

The star and crescent originally was a symbol used by the Zhou Dynasty, Greeks, Mongol-Turkic and Persians among others. It was used for the city of Byzantium in pre-Christian times and then more widely in the Hellenistic world, while the coins cut by the Sassanid kings carried this emblem....
 emblem. This might be due, however, to the great influence of the British East India Company
British East India Company

The East India Company was an early England joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the Indies, but that ended up trading with the Indian subcontinent and China....
, rather than the later United States flag.

The Flag of Chile
Flag of Chile

The national flag of Chile, also known as La estrella solitaria , consists of two equal horizontal bands of white and red and a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band, which bears a white five-pointed star in the center....
 resembles a simplified U.S. (or Liberian) flag, with just one star and two stripes.

The flag of Hawaii
Flag of Hawaii

The flag of Hawaii is the official standard symbolizing Hawaii as a U.S. state, as it previously had as a Kingdom of Hawaii, Provisional Government of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii, and Territory of Hawaii....
, in use since it was a kingdom in the 19th century, with eight stripes in red, white, and blue, and the British Union Flag
Union Flag

The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national Flag of the United Kingdom. Historically, the flag was used throughout the former British Empire....
 in the canton, has some resemblance to the U.S. Grand Union Flag of the 18th century.

See also

  • Ensign of the United States
  • Flags of the United States
    Flags of the United States

    This is a list of flags used in or otherwise associated with the United States....
  • Flags of the U.S. states
    Flags of the U.S. states

    The flags of the United States U.S. states exhibit a wide variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as widely different styles and design principles....
  • Flags of the United States armed forces
    Flags of the United States armed forces

    Branches of the Armed Forces The several branches of the United States armed forces are represented by flags, among other emblems and insignia. Within each branch, various flags fly on various occasions, and on various ships, bases, camps, and military academies....
  • Flags of the Confederate States of America
    Flags of the Confederate States of America

    File:Our Heroes and Our Flags 1896.jpgThere were several flags of the Confederate States of America used during its existence from 1861 to 1865....
  • Gallery of flags of United States cities
  • Jack of the United States
    Jack of the United States

    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 United States Navy is a prime user of jacks, but they are also used by ships of the United States Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other gover...
  • Old Glory
    Old Glory

    Old Glory is a common nickname for the flag of the United States, bestowed by William Driver, an early nineteenth century American sea captain....
  • Gadsden flag
    Gadsden flag

    File:Gadsden flag.svgThe Gadsden flag is a historical United States flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike....
  • Nationalism in the United States
    Nationalism in the United States

    The society of the United States in spite of being Multiethnic society and multiculturalism still has a sense of national identity and history; those who live in or are from the United States refer to an 'American people', and patriotism is prominent in public life....
  • Flag Code
    Flag code

    Flag code can refer to:* Maritime signal flags* United States Flag Code...
  • Hoa K?
    Hoa K?

    Sorry, no overview for this topic


Article sections

  • Flag desecration: United States
    Flag desecration

    Flag desecration is a term applied to various acts that intentionally destroy, damage or deface a flag, most often a national flag. Often, such action is intended to make a political point against a country or its policies....
  • Colors, standards and guidons: United States
    Colours, standards and guidons

    In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, to act both as a rallying point for troops, and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago....


Associated persons

  • Francis Bellamy
    Francis Bellamy

    Francis Julius Bellamy was an United States Baptist minister and Christian Socialism who wrote the original Pledge of Allegiance in 1892. It was published in the Youth's_Companion , which was a nationally circulated family-oriented magazine, and by 1892 was the largest publication of any type in the United States, with a circulation around 5...
     (1855–1931), creator of the Pledge of Allegiance
    Pledge of Allegiance

    The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag is an oath of loyalty to the country. It is recited at many public events. US Congressional sessions open with the recitation of the Pledge....
  • William Driver
    William Driver

    William Driver was a United States ship captain. He coined the phrase Old Glory for the United States flag.As a birthday present, young Capt....
     (1803–1886), who owned and named "Old Glory
    Old Glory

    Old Glory is a common nickname for the flag of the United States, bestowed by William Driver, an early nineteenth century American sea captain....
    "
  • Charles Fawcett
    Charles Fawcett

    Sir Charles Fawcett was a United Kingdom History. He served in the Indian Civil Service whilst India was a part of the British Empire. He published a number of articles and books related to Indian history and was an expert on the British East India Company....
    , British historian who suggested the design is based on the flag of the British East India Company
    British East India Company

    The East India Company was an early England joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the Indies, but that ended up trading with the Indian subcontinent and China....
  • Thomas E. Franklin
    Thomas E. Franklin

    Thomas E. Franklin is an United States photographer for The Record , best known for his photograph Raising the Flag at Ground Zero, which depicts firefighters raising the American flag at the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 attacks....
     (1966–), photographer of Ground Zero Spirit, better known as Raising the Flag at Ground Zero
    Raising the Flag at Ground Zero

    Raising the Flag at Ground Zero is a photograph by Thomas E. Franklin of The Record , taken on September 11, 2001. The picture shows three New York City New York City Fire Departments raising the Flag of the United States at ground zero of the World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks....
  • Christopher Gadsden
    Christopher Gadsden

    Christopher Gadsden , a soldier and statesman from South Carolina, was the principal leader of the South Carolina Patriot movement in the American Revolution....
     (1724–1805), after whom the Gadsden flag
    Gadsden flag

    File:Gadsden flag.svgThe Gadsden flag is a historical United States flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike....
     is named
  • Robert G. Heft
    Robert G. Heft

    Robert G. Heft is a designer of the Flag of the United States, and one of the proposed designs for a U.S. 51-star flag for the United States. He spent his childhood in Lancaster, Ohio, Ohio, where he created the flag as a school project....
     (1941–), a designer of the current flag's canton
    Flag terminology

    The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon....
  • Francis Hopkinson
    Francis Hopkinson

    File:Francis Hopkinson sepia print.jpgFile:Francis Hopkinson signature.pngFrancis Hopkinson , an United States author, was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey....
     (1737–1791), designer (according to some historians)
  • Jasper Johns
    Jasper Johns

    File:Jasper Johns's 'Map', 1961.jpgJasper Johns, Jr. is a contemporary American artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking. He is represented by the Matthew Marks Gallery....
     (1930–), painter of Flag (1954–55), inspired by a dream of the flag
  • John Paul Jones
    John Paul Jones

    John Paul Jones was United States first well-known US Navy fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among the American ruling class, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day....
     (1747–1792), who claimed to have first raised the Grand Union Flag
    Grand Union Flag

    File:Grand Union Flag.svgFile:Grand-Union-Flag.jpgFile:1885 History of US flags med.jpgThe Grand Union Flag, also known as the Congress flag, the First Navy Ensign, the Cambridge Flag, and the Continental Colors, is considered to be the first national flag of the United States....
     aboard the Alfred in 1775
  • Francis Scott Key
    Francis Scott Key

    Francis Scott Key was an United States lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, Washington, D.C., who wrote the words to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."...
     (1779–1843), writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner
    The Star-Spangled Banner

    "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from a poem written in 1814 by then 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key who wrote "Defence of Fort McHenry" after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland, Maryland, by Royal Navy ships in the Chesapeake Bay during th...
    "
  • Mary Young Pickersgill
    Mary Young Pickersgill

    Mary Young Pickersgill is the flagmaker of the Star Spangled Banner Flag hoisted over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812....
     (1776–1857), maker of the banner hoisted over Fort McHenry
    Fort McHenry

    Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a Star fort best known for its role in the War of 1812 when it successfully defended Inner Harbor from an attack by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Royal Navy in the Chesapeake Bay....
     during the Battle of Baltimore
    Battle of Baltimore

    In the Battle of Baltimore, one of the turning points in the War of 1812, United States forces warded off a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland sea invasion of the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland....
  • Katha Pollitt
    Katha Pollitt

    Katha Pollitt is an American feminist poet, essayist and critic....
     (1949–), author of a controversial essay on post-9/11 America and her refusal to fly an American flag
  • George H. Preble
    George H. Preble

    George Henry Preble was an United States naval officer and writer, notable for his history of the flag of the United States and for taking the first photograph of the Fort McHenry flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner....
     (1816–1885), author of History of the American Flag (1872) and photographer of the Fort McHenry flag
  • Joe Rosenthal
    Joe Rosenthal

    Joseph John Rosenthal was an United States photographer who received the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima....
     (1911–2006), photographer of Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
    Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

    Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marine Corps and a United States Navy Hospital Corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II....
  • Betsy Ross
    Betsy Ross

    File:RossBetsy.jpgBetsy Ross , of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been widely credited with making the first American flag....
     (1752–1836), creator of the first stars and stripes flag (according to legend)
  • George Washington
    George Washington

    George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
     (1732–1799), who (according to legend) first sketched the stars and stripes design and on whose family arms the design may be based


External links

  • (citation needs to be updated)
    • Provides details about the design of the flag, treatment of the flag, the pledge of allegiance, etc.
  • , with specifications and regulations for the current flag
  • (Video on the proper folding of the United States flag)