The Testament of the US Flag
The US Flag is an incredibly important symbol to the country of the United States of America. It testifies to our spirit, resilience, tenacity, and patriotism. It is recognized across the country and world and since September 11 has only increased in popularity. Now, in addition to flying the US flag outside of schools and government buildings, it is not uncommon to see the flag flying from decorative flagpoles outside people’s houses. From a very small age, children in the United States learn that the US flag is an important part of our country’s heritage and it is something to be respected and revered.
US Flag: The Story
The history of the US flag is itself a testament to the history of our nation—the struggles, gains, and growth we endured as we built our country from the initial thirteen colonies. The initial design of the flag was created long ago and was decided to be thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen white stars in a blue background. The number thirteen was representative of the thirteen initial colonies. Originally, there was no specific arrangement of the thirteen stars within the blue square that was located in the upper left hand corner of the flag, and flags from that period of our history show the stars scattered without any organization, arranged in lines, or forming a circle.
The design of the flag changed with the development of the country. As the number of colonies increased, so did the number of stars and stripes. Eventually it was decided that the number of stripes would remain at thirteen to stand for the initial thirteen colonies, but a new star would be added with each state admitted to the union. The flag long ago served as inspiration for Francis Scott Key when he wrote the national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, and it continues to serve as inspiration today, uniting all of the citizens of the United States under one common banner of freedom.