Flag of the United States of America - Description of the USA Flag
As the
above picture of the USA Flag indicates the overall
background is
13 equal horizontal
stripes of red alternating with white stripes and in the upper
hoist-side corner (canton) there is a blue rectangle bearing 50 small,
white, five-pointed stars
The 50 stars
represent the 50 states of the USA
The 13
stripes on the USA flag represent the 13 original colonies (known as
Old Glory)
The red
stripes are situated at the top and bottom
The stars
on the USA flag are arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of stars - six stars
are displayed on the top and bottom rows - the rows of
six stars alternate with rows of five stars
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the USA flag represent the
following:
White -
peace and honesty
Red -
hardiness, bravery, strength & valour
Blue -
vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
The
basic style shown in the picture of the USA flag is
described as Canton
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the USA flag is described as 1:2 ( length twice the height )
The upper
left quarter of the flag is called the Canton and pictures
the stars
The Meaning
of the USA Flag - The USA
flag represents the 50 states of USA
and the 13 original colonies
The History of the United States of
America and the dates when the States were
admitted are detailed
below
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
The History of the USA flag
is as follows:
On January 1, 1776
American forces were placed under George Washington's control
under the 'Grand Union' flag . It had 13 alternate red and white
stripes on the USA flag and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner
(the canton)
4th July 1776 - The
Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. The USA flag adopted
was the 'Grand Union Flag' and continued to display the Union
Jack in the Canton together with red and white stripes
George Washington
approved of Heraldry and his British lineage dated back to
Sir Walter de Washington of Washington in Durham County, England
and Bewell in Northumberland County, England and this strongly
influened the design of the USA flag
Of heraldry, George
Washington stated as follows: "It is
far from my design to intimate an opinion, that Heraldry, Coat-Armor,
etc. might not be rendered conducive to public and private use
with us; or that they can have any tendency unfriendly to the
purest spirit of Republicanism. On the contrary, a different
conclusion is deducible from the practice of Congress, and the
states; all of which have established some kind of Armorial
Devices, to authenticate their official instruments"
- George
Washington (1732-1799)
The Coat of Arms of
George Washington is described as 'Argent, two bars beneath
three mullets gules' and is pictured below. These arms appear on
the flag of the District of Columbia
Argent - The
heraldic term for silver, sometimes shown as white
Mullet - A star,
usually five pointed whose rays are straight
Gules - The
heraldic term for red
June 14, 1777 - the
Marine Committee of the USA Second Continental Congress passed a
resolution establishing a new design and declared that the flag
should have thirteen white stars in a blue background and
thirteen alternate red and white stripes:
"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."
This edict did not
define HOW the stars should be displayed on the flag of the USA.
Or how many points each star should have
The earliest United
States flags therefore had a variety of designs depicting 5 or 6
pointed stars and with stars arranged in rows or as a circle
Elizabeth Griscom
Ross is recognized for sewing the first American flag. Betsy
Ross was a seamstress who often mended the clothes of George
Washington. The 'Betsy Ross Flag' depicts the stars in a circle
The first Stars and
Stripes flag used by the Navy displayed the 13 stars, in
alternating rows of three and two.
In 1780 Francis
Hopkinson wrote a letter to the Board of Admiralty in 1780
saying that he was the one who had designed the first USA flag (this
has not been verified)
George Washington
explained the symbolism of the colors of the 'Union Flag' as
follows: "We
take the stars from Heaven, the red from out mother country,
separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have
separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to
posterity representing liberty."
George
Washington (1732-1799)
The following image
represents some of the early designs of the USA Flag
Congress passed
several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of
the USA flag which allowed for additional stars and stripes to be
added to reflect the admission of each new state
In 1795 two more states, Vermont and Kentucky were admitted, and
the flag thus increased the number of stars and stripes from 13
to 15
In 1818 five more
states were to be added and Congress reduced the fifteen stripes
to thirteen, thus the stripes of the flag would, from that time
forward, just reflect the first original 13 states. The stars
would increase in number according to additional states admitted
to the Union
In 1912 an
Executive Order of US President Taft established proportions of the
flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal
rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward
In January 1959 an
Executive Order of President Eisenhower provided for the
arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each,
staggered horizontally and vertically
In August 1959 an
Executive Order of US President Eisenhower provided for the
arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered
horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically
USA
Location:
North America, bordering both the North
Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and
Mexico
Land Size of
USA : 9,631,418 sq km
Climate / Weather
of USA : mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida,
arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the
Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest;
low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated
occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from
the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Population of
USA : 293,500,000
Former Name(s) :
N/A
Capital City of
USA : Washington, DC
GDP of USA :
$10.98 trillion (2003 est.)
Main Industries :
petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications,
chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber,
mining
Currency of USA
: US dollar (USD)
Agricultural
products : wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables,
cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, forest products,
fish
Main Colors of
USA Flag : Red, white and blue
Concise History of
USA & its Flag
Various
changes have been made to the size, shape, design and
arrangement of the US flag between 1st January 1776 and
August 21 1960
The dates of
admission of states are detailed as follows:
The first
thirteen states, were Delaware, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South
Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and
Rhode Island
In 1795 Vermont and Kentucky, were added to the
USA flag
In 1818 Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana,
Indiana, and Mississippi
In 1819 Illinois was added
In 1820 Alabama and Maine were included
on the USA flag
In 1822 Missouri became a state
In 1836 Arkansas
In 1837 Michigan
In 1845 Florida was added giving the
USA flag 27 stars
In 1846 Texas
In 1847 Iowa
In 1848 Wisconsin
In 1851 California
In 1858 Minnesota
In 1859 Oregon
In 1861 Kansas
In 1863 West
Virginia
In 1865 Nevada
was added totalling 36 stars on the USA flag
In 1867 Nebraska was admitted
In 1877 Colorado
In 1890 North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington,
and Idaho
In 1891 Wyoming
In 1896 Utah
In 1908 Oklahoma
In 1912 Arizona and New Mexico
In 1912 Alaska
In 1960 Hawaii the last state was added giving the
USA flag 50 stars
Flag Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description uses
specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
"Around the World in 80
minutes!"
A combination of information
regarding a Nation's flag, History, Geography and Current Events
provides an accurate snapshot of the evolution of each country
In just a short period of time this
concise information with specific facts will improve your
overall understanding of the great countries of the World
A useful Educational Resource
accessed from the Index
You can go "Around the World in 80
minutes!"
The
Flag and Nation of USA
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Flag and Country of USA has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your knowledge
of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the Flag and Nations
Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
it's fun! If you answer all questions correctly you will earn the
right to enter the Vexillologist Hall of Fame!
