AMERICAN FLAG: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY

The United States flag is the national flag that internally and externally identifies this North American country. The symbol is composed of a blue square in the corner, on which are fifty white five-pointed stars. Each of them is identified with a state of this federation. In the rest of the flag, thirteen horizontal white and red stripes occupy the surface.

This symbol is probably one of the most famous worldwide and is known as the stars and stripes flag. The flag has accompanied the United States practically from the moment of its independence. Its modifications have been restricted to the addition of stars based on the increase in the number of states. This has occurred on about 27 occasions.

United States flag. (Dbenbenn, Zscout370, Jacobolus, Indolences, Technion., Via Wikimedia Commons).

The thirteen red and white stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that originally made up the United States of America. Instead, each of the white stars represents a current state of the federation. The current 50-star flag has been in effect since 1960, with Hawaii's entry as the 50th state of the Federation.

History of the flag

There were many colonizing powers that occupied the current territory of the United States for centuries. The Spanish in the south, the French in the central part, the British on the east coast, and at first, small Dutch and Swedish settlements were also established.

The current United States was born from the thirteen colonies of British America, located on the Atlantic Coast. The expansion of the territory occurred with the United States already independent. In this sense, stars were added to the flag when conquered territories became states.

British colony

Just as Spain became the great colonizing power in Central and South America, Great Britain became the dominant power in the north of the continent. Since 1607, the British America and the British West Indies colony was officially formed.

This covered practically the entire Atlantic coast of North America, from the north of present-day Canada to southern Florida. The political entity also included the Caribbean dependencies, in addition to Belize and Guyana.

The British national symbol was used at the colonial level. At that time, the British colonies did not have distinctive symbols of their own that identified their geographical space.

The British flag that was used until the independence of the thirteen colonies was very similar to the current one. It consisted of a Cross of Saint Andrew that combined the flags of England and Scotland. Then the flag of Ireland was not incorporated into the Union Jack.

Great Britain flag. (1707-1800). (Hoshie, via Wikimedia Commons).

American independence

Discontent in the British American colonies began to be felt at the end of the 18th century, especially in the tax and commercial areas. Finally, between 1775 and 1783, the independence troops led by General George Washington spearheaded what would become the United States War of Independence, also known as the American Revolution.

The United States was the first country to become independent in America. The Declaration of Independence took place on July 4, 1776. However, it was finalized after the triumph in the war and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which recognized the independence of the new country.

Grand Union Flag

However, after the country's independence declaration, a new flag was not immediately adopted. American troops had begun using a variant of the flag of the British West India Company.

Although it did not enjoy official status, today this flag is recognized as the first flag, which is called the Grand Union Flag or Continental Colors.

Its design consisted of thirteen horizontal stripes of white and red, representing the thirteen colonies raised in arms and formally independent. In the canton, the square-shaped Union Jack was incorporated.

Grand Union Flag, the first flag of the United States. (1776-1777). (Hoshie, Yaddah., Via Wikimedia Commons).

Incorporation of the stars

The Second Continental Congress of the United States, also known as the Philadelphia Congress, passed the first of a set of three laws, known as Flag Acts, in 1777.

It established that the national flag should have thirteen horizontal stripes interspersed with the colors red and white. In addition, in a blue field would be thirteen stars, representatives of the new constellation.

In this way, the old American flag was replaced with the Union Jack, changing it to a blue square on which the stars were positioned. However, the war for independence was still ongoing, and standardizing a national flag for all troops proved difficult.

First of all, the 1777 resolution did not establish how the stars should be positioned in the blue field, so many designs emerged in this regard.

Divergences in designs

Most of the flags that were made then for the war were produced individually and not industrially. This is what caused such variety in the designs.

Even independence leaders such as Benjamin Franklin and John Adams noted in a letter sent to King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies that the American flag had 13 stripes, interspersed with the colors red, white and blue.

In addition, there were also different designs in regards to the shape of the stars. The resolution did not establish that they were five-pointed, so different designs such as John Paul Jones' began to be produced.

This was used in 1779 and had three rows of eight-pointed stars, with red, white and blue stripes. Jones also used another design with five rows of eight-pointed stars, but with only red and white stripes.

Historically, there is a self-proclaimed designer of the flag of the United States. This is Francis Hopkinson, signer of the Declaration of Independence and member of the independence navy. Hopkinson would have opted for the red and white stripes for the sake of offshore visibility.

Betsy Ross Flag

In stark contradiction to Hopkinson's assumption, the story of Betsy Ross is presented. She would have been the first designer of the flag, having sewn it from a George Washington design. However, this story has not gotten any kind of verification.

Despite this, one of the variant flags that were flying in the early years of independence is known as the Betsy Ross flag. It consists of thirteen stars in a circular shape within the blue box.

American flag, Betsy Ross version. (1777-1795). (DevinCookCreated by jacobolus using Adobe Illustrator, and released into the public domain., Via Wikimedia Commons).

Other designs of the first flag

In the absence of official regulations on the position of the stars, many designs emerged at this nascent stage in American history. One of the best known was an arrangement quite similar to the current one, with five horizontal lines in which stars are interspersed.

United States flag, five line version. (1777-1795). (Jacobolus (SVG file), via Wikimedia Commons).

Another design was known as the Cowpens flag. This was based on the Betsy Ross flag, but included a star in the center of the circumference. Its use was minor compared to the other pavilions.

Flag of the United States, Cowpens version. (1777-1795). (DevinCook, via Wikimedia Commons).

Fifteen Stripe Flag

The expansionist vocation of the United States was present from the beginning of its life as an independent state. This was clearly reflected upon the incorporation of the states of Vermont and Kentucky into the union.

Both states were strongly linked to the thirteen colonies, but New York and Virginia blocked their admission to the Union for different reasons.

Vermont enjoyed a brief independence, but was always on the American revolutionary axis. With the entry of these states, the national flag must have changed.

Now the United States had fifteen states, and that was reflected in the number of stars. The change was also brought to the stripes, as they increased from thirteen to fifteen. It was the only time the American flag had more than thirteen stripes.

This design inspired Francis Scott Key in the composition of the American national anthem. The musical symbol was subsequently established.

United States flag. (1795-1818). (No machine-readable author provided. Jacobolus assumed (based on copyright claims)., Via Wikimedia Commons).

Return to the thirteen stripes

The American Union continued to grow. Expansion to the west was a fact and the number of states that joined the United States of America was growing. By 1818 there were already 20 states, after the incorporation of Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi. Again, the national flag needed to be changed.

Since 1818 the rule was incorporated that a star would be incorporated with the entry of a new state. However, following Captain Samuel C. Reid's petition to Congress, the number of stripes should be permanently reduced to 13, representing the thirteen founding colonies. Congress accepted this initiative through a law approved on July 4, 1818, which is still in force.

A new flag with 20 stars has since been approved. Various designs continued to coexist in the country with regard to the organization of the stars. However, the Armed Forces began to position the rectangular pattern of the stars more.

United States flag. (1818-1819). (No machine-readable author provided. Jacobolus assumed (based on copyright claims)., Via Wikimedia Commons).

Another of the designs used then consisted of forming the stars through the figure of a larger five-pointed star.

Flag of the United States, star version. (1818-1819). (Gunter Küchler / Berlin, via Wikimedia Commons).

New states

Since then, the only changes that the American flag has presented have been the addition of new stars based on each new state that joins the country.

Over time, there have been 24 times in which the number of stars has grown. These occurred, mainly, throughout the nineteenth century and the completion of the expansion to the west.

Although in each and every one of the designs, a linear design was mainly maintained for the presentation of the stars, there were other types of grouping patterns. These were always additional to the one held by the Armed Forces, which grouped the stars in lines.

For example, the flag in effect between 1837 and 1845 after Missouri joined the union had an additional design. On this occasion, the 26 stars were arranged as an inverted five-pointed star.

Flag of the United States, star version (1837-1845). (Gunter Küchler / Berlin, via Wikimedia Commons).

Rhomboid versions

Besides the grouping of the stars in the form of a larger star, the rhombuses acquired some importance in the alternative organization of this field of the pavilion. Between 1847 and 1848, with the entry of Iowa, one that grouped the 29 stars as a rhombus was used as an alternative national flag.

Flag of the United States, rhombus version (1847-1848). (Gunter Küchler / Berlin, via Wikimedia Commons).

In 1859 Oregon entered the United States and at that time four designs coexisted in the 33-star flag: the lines, rhombus, star, and a new elongated rhomboid figure. This incorporated new stars at the edges of the painting.

Flag of the United States, version of the elongated rhombus (1859-1861). (Gunter Küchler / Berlin, via Wikimedia Commons).

Circular versions

After the entry of Kansas in 1861, many designs inspired by the Betsy Ross flag were adopted. The distribution of the stars in a circular shape varied considerably in lines and shapes. In the case of the one adopted in 1861, there were two circumferences, a central star and one in each corner of the canton.

Flag of the United States, circular version (1861-1863). (This vector image was created by Ali Zifan., Via Wikimedia Commons).

Later versions, such as one adopted after the incorporation of Nevada into the country, grouped all 36 stars in three circles. The only exception was a central star, although they were all the same size.

Flag of the United States, circular version (1865-1867). (Gunter Küchler / Berlin, via Wikimedia Commons).

Star design unification

After more than a century with varying designs on the position of the stars in the canton, the design was unified. It was first done de facto, since from the last great incorporation of states, in 1890, there were 43 stars on the flag. The best way to organize them was linear and any other attempt was abandoned.

Flag of the United States (1890-1891). (No machine-readable author provided. Jacobolus assumed (based on copyright claims), via Wikimedia Commons.

Finally, in 1912 it was officially legislated in this regard. With the 48-star flag following the status of Arizona and New Mexico, a unique and standardized way of the position of the stars on the flag was officially adopted.

Flag of the United States (1912-1959). (No machine-readable author provided. Jacobolus assumed (based on copyright claims), via Wikimedia Commons.)

Current flag

The flag of the 48 states was one of the longest-lived in United States history. However, it underwent a change with the incorporation of Alaska into the union in 1959. The flag went to 49 stars for a very short period: one year.

Flag of the United States (1959-1960). (Gunter Küchler / Berlin, via Wikimedia Commons).

In 1960, the United States incorporated its last state: the Asian archipelago of Hawaii. In this way, the presence of 50 stars on the flag was specified, which remain until today. The current flag has become the longest in the history of the country.

Meaning of the flag

There is no greater symbol that identifies the United States of America in the entire world than its flag. The national pavilion has even become a marketing object.

However, the origin of its colors is limited to those of the British flag, more specifically that of the Company of the British West Indies.

Although the colors did not have a specific meaning on the flag, they did on the United States Seal. For this reason, they can be extrapolated to the national flag.

It was established that red was blood and strength, while blue was heaven and justice. Finally, and as is customary in symbols, white represents purity.

The numbers are the most prominent meanings of the American flag. The thirteen stripes are identified with the thirteen colonies that came together to gain independence from British rule and that signed the Declaration of Independence. Instead, the 50 stars each represent a state that makes up the United States.

References

Armed Forces History Collections, Smithsonian Institute. (sf). Facts about the United States Flag. Smithsonian Institute. Recovered from si.edu.
Canby, W. (1870). The History of the Flag of the United States. Betsy Ross and the American Flag. Recovered from us.history.org.
Furlong, W., Langley, H. and McCandless, B. (1981). So Proudly We Hail: The History of the United States Flag. Smithsonian Institution Press. Recovered from books.google.com.
Ingle, D. and Marvin, C.. (1999). Blood sacrifice and the nation: Totem rituals and the American flag. Cambridge University Press. Recovered from books.google.com.
Smith, W. (2018). Flag of the United States of America. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.. Recovered from britannica.com.

AMERICAN FLAG: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025