As you walk around your neighborhood on June 14 you may see many American flags hung up to commemorate Flag Day. Although this special day isn’t a federal holiday, people still hold celebrations, picnics, and other events to express their patriotism. The American Flag has undergone many changes throughout the decades, but its symbolism of unity within the states has always remained. The American Flag consists of red, blue, and white, with the thirteen red and white stripes representing the thirteen colonies that broke free from Britain’s control.
During the American Revolution, when the thirteen colonies were breaking free from the hands of Great Britain, there was no one flag they all stood under. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that the flag would have thirteen alternating red and white stripes. Historians believe that Francis Hopkinson designed the flag. There have been twenty-seven different versions of the American flag, mostly to reflect new states entering the union. Various people have been credited as the “first” to acknowledge Flag Day. One is Bernard Cigrand, who wanted the stars and stripes to be honored with an official holiday. In 1885, Cigrand and his students celebrated “Flag Day.” In 1916, June 14 was dubbed “Flag Day” by President Woodrow Wilson.
The American Flag itself has many meanings behind it, especially about unity, but acts on the flag have been show
n to symbolize the people’s trust in the American ways and the government itself. During the Vietnam War many opposed the American government’s role in the war, and so as a sign of protest, they burned the American flag. This resulted in the Flag Protection Act of 1968 where burning of flags was declared illegal, but this was revised decades later saying that the government cannot limit people’s First Amendment liberty to free speech. Because the flag has a rich history and meaning behind it, people deface it to show their disdain for the direction the country is heading. Flag Day is meant to represent the opposite end of this spectrum, as a way for people to show patriotism.
Flag Day is celebrated to remember the history of how the flag came to be, including the revolution, and what the flag means to us Americans. The Red, White, and Blue may have undergone many changes, but the impact and meaning behind the banner have stood the test of time.
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