Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your American Flag shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the American Flag offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of American Flag at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a American Flag? Wrong! If the American Flag is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about American Flag then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling American Flag? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about American Flag and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your American Flag wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your American Flag then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the American Flag site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about American Flag, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your American Flag, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{National flag infobox|Name = United States of America |Article = the |Image = Flag of the United States.svg|Nickname = The Stars and Stripes|Morenicks = Old Glory|Use = 111111|Symbol = |Proportion = 10:19|Adoption = June 14, 1777 (13-star version)
July 4, 1960 (50-star version)The flag of the United States is one of the most recognized national flags in the world. It consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the Flag terminology bearing 50 small, white, Star (symbol)s arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the U.S. state and the 13 stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against the British monarchy and became the first states in the Union.States are represented collectively; there is no meaning to particular stars nor stripes. Nicknames for the flag include "the Stars and Stripes" and "Old Glory".Coined by Captain William Driver, a nineteenth century shipmaster.

Because of its symbolism, the starred blue canton is called the "union". This part of the national flag can stand alone as a maritime flag called the Union JackNo relation to the Union Flag to which this term more commonly refers. which served as the Jack of the United States on warships from 1777 until 2002. It continues to be used as a jack by various federally-owned vessels, including those of the United States Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Though its design is similar to the flag of the British East India Company, no substantive connection has been established.

Symbolism The United States flag is one of the nation's widely recognized and used symbols. Within the U.S. it is frequently displayed, not only on public buildings, but on private residences, as well as iconically in forms such as 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 ideals.

Many understand the flag to represent the freedoms and rights guaranteed in the United States Constitution and its United States Bill of Rights and perhaps most of all to be a symbol of individual and personal liberty as set forth in the United States Declaration of Independence. Through the Pledge of Allegiance and other political uses the flag has also come to be associated with U.S. nationalism, patriotism, and even militarism. The flag is a complex and contentious symbol, around which emotions run high.

In terms of the symbolism of the design itself, a book about the flag published by the Congress in 1977 states:"The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."George Washington is credited for saying:"We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our Kingdom of Great Britain, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty."

Many people also take the red and white to stand for the blood of those who gave their lives for freedom, and the presumed purity of the freedom ideal, respectively.

Design Specification

The design of the flag is specified by sections 1 Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 1 Notes from Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection. and 2 Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 2 from Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection. of Title 4, United States Code (4 U.S.C. §§ 1, 2 (2004)). The specification gives the following values:



Flag ratios Note that the flag ratio (B in the diagram) is not absolutely fixed. Although the diagram in Executive Order 10834 gives a ratio of 1.9, earlier in the order is a list of flag sizes authorized for executive agencies. This list permits eleven specific flag sizes (specified by height and width) for such agencies: 20.00 × 38.00; 10.00 × 19.00; 8.95 × 17.00; 7.00 × 11.00; 5.00 × 9.50; 4.33 × 5.50; 3.50 × 6.65; 3.00 × 4.00; 3.00 × 5.70; 2.37 × 4.50; and 1.32 × 2.50. Eight of these sizes conform to the 1.9 ratio, within a small rounding error (less than 0.01). However, three of the authorized sizes vary significantly: 1.57 (for 7.00 × 11.00), 1.27 (for 4.33 × 5.50) and 1.33 (for 3.00 × 4.00).

Colors According to Flags of the World, the colors are specified by the General Services Administration "Federal Specification, Flag, National, United States of America and Flag, Union Jack," DDD-F-416E, dated November 27, 1981. It gives the colors by reference to "Standard Color Cards of America" maintained by The Color Association of the United States, Inc., as:

{] colorThe Pantone color equivalents for Old Glory Blue and Red are listed on U.S. Flag Facts at the U.S. Embassy's London site.], when it was adopted in 1782, were defined thus: "White signifies Purity and Innocence; Red, Hardiness and Valor; Blue signifies Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice."

Design of the union When Alaska and Hawaii were being considered for statehood, more than 1,500 designs were spontaneously submitted to President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower by Americans. 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. These designs are in the Eisenhower Presidential Center in Abilene, Kansas, Kansas. Only a small fraction of them has ever been published.

One legend states the union of the current 50-star flag was designed by Robert G. Heft in 1958 while living with his grandparents in Ohio. He was 18 years old at the time and did the flag design as a class project. 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.

At the time, credit was given by the Executive Department to the United States Army Institute of Heraldry for the design.

Decoration Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with Gold (color) fringe surrounding the perimeter of the flag itself as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the flag, such as those in parades or on indoor posts, often utilize fringe to enhance the beauty of the flag. The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the United States Army used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe, but a 1925 opinion of the United States Attorney General approves the use of fringe "...at the descretion of the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy...". The United States Army Institute of Heraldry, which has official custody of the flag designs, and makes any such change ordered, also confirms that there are no implications of symbolism in the use of fringe.

Flag etiquette The United States Flag 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 responding to a salute from a ship of a foreign nation. (This tradition comes from the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, where countries were asked to dip their flag to Edward VII of the United Kingdom: the American team captain Martin Sheridan refused, famously proclaiming that "this flag dips to no earthly king." London Olympics 1908 & 1948)

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 right to freedom of speech. Passage of the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment would overrule legal precedent that has been established in this area.

Folding the flag 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, a Overseas expansion of the United States, also has this custom for folding its flag.) To properly fold the flag:

  • Begin by holding it waist-high with another person so that its surface is parallel to the ground.
  • Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges securely.
  • Fold the flag again lengthwise with the blue field on the outside.
  • 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
  • Turn the outer end point inward, parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.
  • The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner. On the last 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.
  • When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field of stars should be visible.


    • Display The flag is customarily flown year-round from 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, Veterans Day, Presidents' Day (United States), Flag Day in the United States, and on Independence Day (US). On Memorial Day it is common to place small flags by war memorials and next to the graves of U.S. war veterans.

    Places of continuous display raises the United States Flag on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 14 mission.

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



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



    Displaying the flag at half staff The US Flag is displayed at half staff as a sign of respect or mourning. Nationwide, this action is proclaimed by the president of the United States; 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 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 US 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.

    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, the longest time the flag went unmodified until July 4, 2007, when the current 50-star flag broke the record.

    First flag Grand Union Flag ("Continental Colors").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 has historically been referred to as the "First National Flag"; although it has never had any official status it was used throughout the American Revolutionary War by George Washington and formed the basis for the design of the first official US flag.

    This flag is properly considered the de facto first Ensign of the United States. It was first raised aboard Continental Navy Commodore Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred on the Delaware River on December 3, 1775,Leepson, Marc. (2005). Flag: An American Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 16. possibly (according to his claim) by the ship's senior lieutenant John Paul Jones.

    The origins of the design are unclear. It closely resembles the British East India Company (BEIC) flag of the same era, and an argument dating to Sir Charles Fawcett 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, a common flag throughout Britain and its colonies. It has also been theorized that the flag is based upon the design of the flag from Greece – a tribute of the founding fathers to the country that inspired democracy in America.

    .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, which consisted of a shield "argent, two bars gules, above, three mullets gules" (a white shield with two red bars below three red stars).

    More likely it was based on a flag of the Sons of Liberty, one of which consisted of 13 red and white alternating horizontal stripes.

    The Flag Resolution of 1777 13-star "Betsy Ross" flag(original had all stars pointed outward, not upward)On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress#The Second Continental Congress 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 in the United States is now observed on June 14 of each year. A false tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June of 1777 by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment.Guenter (1990)

    The Flag Resolution did not specify any particular arrangement for the stars. The pictured flag shows the thirteen stars arranged in a circle, the so-called Betsy Ross flag. Although the Betsy Ross legend is not taken seriously by many historians, the design itself is the oldest version of any US flag to appear on any physical relic: it is historically referenced in contemporary battlefield paintings by John Trumbull and Charles Willson Peale, which depict the circular star arrangement. Popular designs at the time were varied and most were individually crafted rather than mass-produced. Given the scant archaeological and written evidence, it is unknown which design was the most popular at that time.

    The origin of the stars and stripes design is uncertain. A popular story credits Betsy Ross 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. Another popular theory is that the flag was designed by Francis Hopkinson. 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 15-star, 15-stripe "Star-Spangled Banner" flag 48-star flag, is the second longest in use (1912–1959). Military camouflage American flag patch, as used by the Military of the United States.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 to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," now the national anthem.

    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 thirteen to honor the Thirteen Colonies. The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day (US)) 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 gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska 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.

    First salute The Netherlands were the first country to salute the Grand Union flag, when Salute#Heavy Arms: Gun Salutes by American ships were returned by officials on Dutch islands in the West Indies in late 1776: on St. Croix in October, and on Sint Eustatius in November. (Though later, the better documented St. Eustatius incident involving the USS Andrew Doria (1775) is traditionally regarded as the "first salute".) France was the first country to salute the Stars and Stripes, when a fleet off the French mainland returned a gun salute by Captain John Paul Jones commanding the USS Ranger (1777) on February 14, 1778.

    Historical progression of designs In the following table depicting the 27 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. Canton designs, prior to the proclamation of the 48-star flag by President William Howard Taft on 29 October 1912, had no official arrangement of the stars. Furthermore, the exact colors of the flag were not standardized until 1934(For alternate versions of the flag of the United States, see the Stars of the U.S. Flag page at the Flags of the World website.).{], 1775–June 14, 1777 || [June 14, 1777–May 1, 1795, [Vermont ], 1795–July 3, 1818, [Louisiana, Mississippi,
    Ohio, Tennessee ], 1818–July 3, 1819 || [July 4, 1819–July 3, 1820, [Maine ], 1820–July 3, 1822 || [July 4, 1822–July 3, 1836 || [July 4, 1836–July 3, 1837 || [July 4, 1837–July 3, 1845 || [July 4, 1845–July 3, 1846 || [July 4, 1846–July 3, 1847 || [July 4, 1847–July 3, 1848 || [July 4, 1848–July 3, 1851 || [July 4, 1851–July 3, 1858 || [July 4, 1858–July 3, 1859 || [July 4, 1859–July 3, 1861 || [July 4, 1861–July 3, 1863 || [July 4, 1863–July 3, 1865 || [July 4, 1865–July 3, 1867 || [July 4, 1867–July 3, 1877 || [July 4, 1877–July 3, 1890, [Montana, North Dakota,
    South Dakota, Washington ], 1890–July 3, 1891 || [July 4, 1891–July 3, 1896 || [July 4, 1896–July 3, 1908 || [July 4, 1908–July 3, 1912, [New Mexico ], 1912–July 3, 1959 || [July 4, 1959–July 3, 1960 || [July 4, 1960–Present (time)| style="text-align:left;top" |
    ( months)|}

    Future of the flag Proposed design for a United States 51-star flag in the event of an additional state

    The United States Army Institute of Heraldry has plans for flags with up to 56 stars, using a similar staggered star arrangement should additional states accede. Moreover, there are continuing political movements supporting statehood in Puerto Rico and District of Columbia voting rights.

    Non-standard flags A number of non-standard flags appeared in the early years of American independence. One example is the design approximated here, of a flag traditionally believed to have been carried by the American troops at the Battle of Guilford Court House in 1781. This is disputed by some other historians who think it dates to the nineteenth century. The original flag is at the North Carolina Historical Museum.

    Similar flags The flag of Liberia 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 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 emblem.

    Though more dissimilar in appearance, the flag of Cuba was also inspired by the flag of the United States. For example, the white star originally signified an aspiration to U.S. state. Its origins date from 1849, when Cuban liberation movements emerged among Cuban exiles in the U.S.

    Another flag similar to the flag of the United States is the flag of Puerto Rico. There are specific shades of red and blue for the construction of the flag, however there might be slight variations depending on the flag-flyer's Politics of Puerto Rico. The pro-independence groups use a sky light blue, while the pro-U.S. state groups use a darker shade of blue.

    Image:Flag of Liberia.svg|Flag of LiberiaImage:Flag of Malaysia.svg]Image:Flag of Cuba.svg|Flag of CubaImage:Flag of Puerto Rico.svg]

    Associated people

    See also Article sections

    References

    Notes External links




    {{National flag infobox|Name = United States of America |Article = the |Image = Flag of the United States.svg|Nickname = The Stars and Stripes|Morenicks = Old Glory|Use = 111111|Symbol = |Proportion = 10:19|Adoption = June 14, 1777 (13-star version)
    July 4, 1960 (50-star version)The flag of the United States is one of the most recognized national flags in the world. It consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the Flag terminology bearing 50 small, white, Star (symbol)s arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the U.S. state and the 13 stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against the British monarchy and became the first states in the Union.States are represented collectively; there is no meaning to particular stars nor stripes. Nicknames for the flag include "the Stars and Stripes" and "Old Glory".Coined by Captain William Driver, a nineteenth century shipmaster.

    Because of its symbolism, the starred blue canton is called the "union". This part of the national flag can stand alone as a maritime flag called the Union JackNo relation to the Union Flag to which this term more commonly refers. which served as the Jack of the United States on warships from 1777 until 2002. It continues to be used as a jack by various federally-owned vessels, including those of the United States Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    Though its design is similar to the flag of the British East India Company, no substantive connection has been established.

    Symbolism The United States flag is one of the nation's widely recognized and used symbols. Within the U.S. it is frequently displayed, not only on public buildings, but on private residences, as well as iconically in forms such as 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 ideals.

    Many understand the flag to represent the freedoms and rights guaranteed in the United States Constitution and its United States Bill of Rights and perhaps most of all to be a symbol of individual and personal liberty as set forth in the United States Declaration of Independence. Through the Pledge of Allegiance and other political uses the flag has also come to be associated with U.S. nationalism, patriotism, and even militarism. The flag is a complex and contentious symbol, around which emotions run high.

    In terms of the symbolism of the design itself, a book about the flag published by the Congress in 1977 states:"The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."George Washington is credited for saying:"We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our Kingdom of Great Britain, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty."

    Many people also take the red and white to stand for the blood of those who gave their lives for freedom, and the presumed purity of the freedom ideal, respectively.

    Design Specification

    The design of the flag is specified by sections 1 Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 1 Notes from Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection. and 2 Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 2 from Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection. of Title 4, United States Code (4 U.S.C. §§ 1, 2 (2004)). The specification gives the following values:



    Flag ratios Note that the flag ratio (B in the diagram) is not absolutely fixed. Although the diagram in Executive Order 10834 gives a ratio of 1.9, earlier in the order is a list of flag sizes authorized for executive agencies. This list permits eleven specific flag sizes (specified by height and width) for such agencies: 20.00 × 38.00; 10.00 × 19.00; 8.95 × 17.00; 7.00 × 11.00; 5.00 × 9.50; 4.33 × 5.50; 3.50 × 6.65; 3.00 × 4.00; 3.00 × 5.70; 2.37 × 4.50; and 1.32 × 2.50. Eight of these sizes conform to the 1.9 ratio, within a small rounding error (less than 0.01). However, three of the authorized sizes vary significantly: 1.57 (for 7.00 × 11.00), 1.27 (for 4.33 × 5.50) and 1.33 (for 3.00 × 4.00).

    Colors According to Flags of the World, the colors are specified by the General Services Administration "Federal Specification, Flag, National, United States of America and Flag, Union Jack," DDD-F-416E, dated November 27, 1981. It gives the colors by reference to "Standard Color Cards of America" maintained by The Color Association of the United States, Inc., as:

    {] colorThe Pantone color equivalents for Old Glory Blue and Red are listed on U.S. Flag Facts at the U.S. Embassy's London site.], when it was adopted in 1782, were defined thus: "White signifies Purity and Innocence; Red, Hardiness and Valor; Blue signifies Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice."

    Design of the union When Alaska and Hawaii were being considered for statehood, more than 1,500 designs were spontaneously submitted to President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower by Americans. 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. These designs are in the Eisenhower Presidential Center in Abilene, Kansas, Kansas. Only a small fraction of them has ever been published.

    One legend states the union of the current 50-star flag was designed by Robert G. Heft in 1958 while living with his grandparents in Ohio. He was 18 years old at the time and did the flag design as a class project. 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.

    At the time, credit was given by the Executive Department to the United States Army Institute of Heraldry for the design.

    Decoration Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with Gold (color) fringe surrounding the perimeter of the flag itself as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the flag, such as those in parades or on indoor posts, often utilize fringe to enhance the beauty of the flag. The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the United States Army used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe, but a 1925 opinion of the United States Attorney General approves the use of fringe "...at the descretion of the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy...". The United States Army Institute of Heraldry, which has official custody of the flag designs, and makes any such change ordered, also confirms that there are no implications of symbolism in the use of fringe.

    Flag etiquette The United States Flag 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 responding to a salute from a ship of a foreign nation. (This tradition comes from the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, where countries were asked to dip their flag to Edward VII of the United Kingdom: the American team captain Martin Sheridan refused, famously proclaiming that "this flag dips to no earthly king." London Olympics 1908 & 1948)

    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 right to freedom of speech. Passage of the proposed Flag Desecration Amendment would overrule legal precedent that has been established in this area.

    Folding the flag 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, a Overseas expansion of the United States, also has this custom for folding its flag.) To properly fold the flag:

  • Begin by holding it waist-high with another person so that its surface is parallel to the ground.
  • Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges securely.
  • Fold the flag again lengthwise with the blue field on the outside.
  • 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
  • Turn the outer end point inward, parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.
  • The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner. On the last 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.
  • When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field of stars should be visible.


    • Display The flag is customarily flown year-round from 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, Veterans Day, Presidents' Day (United States), Flag Day in the United States, and on Independence Day (US). On Memorial Day it is common to place small flags by war memorials and next to the graves of U.S. war veterans.

    Places of continuous display raises the United States Flag on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 14 mission.

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



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



    Displaying the flag at half staff The US Flag is displayed at half staff as a sign of respect or mourning. Nationwide, this action is proclaimed by the president of the United States; 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 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 US 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.

    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, the longest time the flag went unmodified until July 4, 2007, when the current 50-star flag broke the record.

    First flag Grand Union Flag ("Continental Colors").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 has historically been referred to as the "First National Flag"; although it has never had any official status it was used throughout the American Revolutionary War by George Washington and formed the basis for the design of the first official US flag.

    This flag is properly considered the de facto first Ensign of the United States. It was first raised aboard Continental Navy Commodore Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred on the Delaware River on December 3, 1775,Leepson, Marc. (2005). Flag: An American Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 16. possibly (according to his claim) by the ship's senior lieutenant John Paul Jones.

    The origins of the design are unclear. It closely resembles the British East India Company (BEIC) flag of the same era, and an argument dating to Sir Charles Fawcett 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, a common flag throughout Britain and its colonies. It has also been theorized that the flag is based upon the design of the flag from Greece – a tribute of the founding fathers to the country that inspired democracy in America.

    .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, which consisted of a shield "argent, two bars gules, above, three mullets gules" (a white shield with two red bars below three red stars).

    More likely it was based on a flag of the Sons of Liberty, one of which consisted of 13 red and white alternating horizontal stripes.

    The Flag Resolution of 1777 13-star "Betsy Ross" flag(original had all stars pointed outward, not upward)On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress#The Second Continental Congress 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 in the United States is now observed on June 14 of each year. A false tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June of 1777 by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment.Guenter (1990)

    The Flag Resolution did not specify any particular arrangement for the stars. The pictured flag shows the thirteen stars arranged in a circle, the so-called Betsy Ross flag. Although the Betsy Ross legend is not taken seriously by many historians, the design itself is the oldest version of any US flag to appear on any physical relic: it is historically referenced in contemporary battlefield paintings by John Trumbull and Charles Willson Peale, which depict the circular star arrangement. Popular designs at the time were varied and most were individually crafted rather than mass-produced. Given the scant archaeological and written evidence, it is unknown which design was the most popular at that time.

    The origin of the stars and stripes design is uncertain. A popular story credits Betsy Ross 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. Another popular theory is that the flag was designed by Francis Hopkinson. 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 15-star, 15-stripe "Star-Spangled Banner" flag 48-star flag, is the second longest in use (1912–1959). Military camouflage American flag patch, as used by the Military of the United States.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 to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," now the national anthem.

    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 thirteen to honor the Thirteen Colonies. The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day (US)) 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 gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska 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.

    First salute The Netherlands were the first country to salute the Grand Union flag, when Salute#Heavy Arms: Gun Salutes by American ships were returned by officials on Dutch islands in the West Indies in late 1776: on St. Croix in October, and on Sint Eustatius in November. (Though later, the better documented St. Eustatius incident involving the USS Andrew Doria (1775) is traditionally regarded as the "first salute".) France was the first country to salute the Stars and Stripes, when a fleet off the French mainland returned a gun salute by Captain John Paul Jones commanding the USS Ranger (1777) on February 14, 1778.

    Historical progression of designs In the following table depicting the 27 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. Canton designs, prior to the proclamation of the 48-star flag by President William Howard Taft on 29 October 1912, had no official arrangement of the stars. Furthermore, the exact colors of the flag were not standardized until 1934(For alternate versions of the flag of the United States, see the Stars of the U.S. Flag page at the Flags of the World website.).{], 1775–June 14, 1777 || [June 14, 1777–May 1, 1795, [Vermont ], 1795–July 3, 1818, [Louisiana, Mississippi,
    Ohio, Tennessee ], 1818–July 3, 1819 || [July 4, 1819–July 3, 1820, [Maine ], 1820–July 3, 1822 || [July 4, 1822–July 3, 1836 || [July 4, 1836–July 3, 1837 || [July 4, 1837–July 3, 1845 || [July 4, 1845–July 3, 1846 || [July 4, 1846–July 3, 1847 || [July 4, 1847–July 3, 1848 || [July 4, 1848–July 3, 1851 || [July 4, 1851–July 3, 1858 || [July 4, 1858–July 3, 1859 || [July 4, 1859–July 3, 1861 || [July 4, 1861–July 3, 1863 || [July 4, 1863–July 3, 1865 || [July 4, 1865–July 3, 1867 || [July 4, 1867–July 3, 1877 || [July 4, 1877–July 3, 1890, [Montana, North Dakota,
    South Dakota, Washington ], 1890–July 3, 1891 || [July 4, 1891–July 3, 1896 || [July 4, 1896–July 3, 1908 || [July 4, 1908–July 3, 1912, [New Mexico ], 1912–July 3, 1959 || [July 4, 1959–July 3, 1960 || [July 4, 1960–Present (time)| style="text-align:left;top" |
    ( months)|}

    Future of the flag Proposed design for a United States 51-star flag in the event of an additional state

    The United States Army Institute of Heraldry has plans for flags with up to 56 stars, using a similar staggered star arrangement should additional states accede. Moreover, there are continuing political movements supporting statehood in Puerto Rico and District of Columbia voting rights.

    Non-standard flags A number of non-standard flags appeared in the early years of American independence. One example is the design approximated here, of a flag traditionally believed to have been carried by the American troops at the Battle of Guilford Court House in 1781. This is disputed by some other historians who think it dates to the nineteenth century. The original flag is at the North Carolina Historical Museum.

    Similar flags The flag of Liberia 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 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 emblem.

    Though more dissimilar in appearance, the flag of Cuba was also inspired by the flag of the United States. For example, the white star originally signified an aspiration to U.S. state. Its origins date from 1849, when Cuban liberation movements emerged among Cuban exiles in the U.S.

    Another flag similar to the flag of the United States is the flag of Puerto Rico. There are specific shades of red and blue for the construction of the flag, however there might be slight variations depending on the flag-flyer's Politics of Puerto Rico. The pro-independence groups use a sky light blue, while the pro-U.S. state groups use a darker shade of blue.

    Image:Flag of Liberia.svg|Flag of LiberiaImage:Flag of Malaysia.svg]Image:Flag of Cuba.svg|Flag of CubaImage:Flag of Puerto Rico.svg]

    Associated people

    See also Article sections

    References

    Notes External links






     

    American Flag



     
    Copyright © 2008 Hintcenter.com - All rights reserved.
    Home | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
    All Trademarks belong to their repective owners. Many aspects of this page are used under
    commercial commons license from Yahoo!