American Flag History

The American Flag is so popular that when looked up on Google, there are over 700 million results.

1. ORIGIN: The American Flag became the official flag of the United States on June 14, 1777. Although, the origin of the American Flag is unknown. Many scholars think that the design came from New Jersey but it was actually made in Pennsylvania by Betsy Ross. 

2. EVOLUTION: The flag has evolved between 1777 and 1960 because more and more states became a part of the United States so more stars had to be added to the flag. There were a lot of changes between that time but since 1960 the flag has remained the same and is the same look as it is today. 

3. DESIGN ELEMENTS/CHOICES: Everything on the flag is there for a reason. The 50 stars represent the 50 states of the United States, the 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies, red represents hardiness and valor, blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice, and white represents purity and innocence. 

4. MEANING: When I look at the flag I immediately am filled with hope and security. I also think of the men and women who serve this country and that flag to ensure freedom and protection to all American citizens. The flag used to bring a widely understood sense of freedom and security but nowadays, many people feel like they don't have many freedoms and there has been a little bit of controversy over the flag. Take the NFL for example. Lots of players kneel during the National Anthem and before the flag and they have the right to do so because of the 1st amendment but they feel like there is inequality in society so they want to stand up and protest. 

The flag's nicknames are; The Stars and Stripes, The Star-Spangled Banner, The Red, White, and Blue, and Old Glory. All of these nicknames are very patriotic and when you hear them, you immediately know what they mean. Through ceremonies, songs, and parades, you know the flag really well and know when someone is referencing it even when they don't directly say, "The American Flag."

Lots of people sing and write songs about the flag. In Toby Keith's song, Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue, he references the flag a lot and sings about our freedoms and about how America is a pretty great nation and is a dominant country. It may not be a classy song in my opinion but it fires people up and sparks a sense of nationalism in people. Another example is Lee Greenwood's song, God Bless the U.S.A, he say, "The flag still stands for freedom and you can't take that away." This song is definitely an anthem on the 4th of July. I have never been anywhere in the United States on the 4th when I didn't hear this song. The reason for that is because, like I said earlier, it sparks a sense of nationalism in people and remind people what it means to be an American. 

5. HABITS/USE: A lot of my family was in the military and so the flag is not to be messed with and is a serious thing. When you hold the flag, you can not let it touch the ground and it has to be flown in a certain way, it can not be upside down or you are disrespecting the United States and the military that fights for this nation. Outside of family though, I feel like public schools teach a lot about the flag and provide a sense of nationalism into each of us at a young age. Also, now with movies and TV, action movies and TV shows involve more of a military sense and we get to see documentaries on our military and hear stories from veterans. For example, American Sniper is an amazing movie on a US Navy Seal who was the best sniper in the special forces and the stories he told when he was fighting for our country. That movie was so serious and showed another side of the military that people grew a sense of respect for the people who fight for our freedom so when it comes to the flag and the National Anthem, people respect the flag because it represents the people fighting for our country. Another reason why is because lots of people have veterans in their family who have been telling stories to them since they were little so that also gives them a sense of respect for the flag out of respect for the veterans and the current military 

6. CONTROVERSY: There is some controversy over the flag because there are some people that aren't happy with how things are going in our government. Some people protest inequality by kneeling during the National Anthem. For example, as I said before, the NFL has many players that take a knee during the anthem. They have the right to do so because of the 1st amendment but I don't that it is right. They have every right to protest but they shouldn't do it during the anthem because the anthem and the flag represent the men and women who have fought for that flag and have risked and lost their lives trying to defend, protect, and ensure freedom for that flag and this country. I believe that their intentions are not to disrespect the military but still they shouldn't kneel during the anthem because it has caused an uproar among people all across the nation. Lots of people aren't happy with the NFL because of this and I just say, they can protest all they want to because they have the right to do so but don't do it during the anthem our of respect for the military and all the men and women who have fought for this country and the ones that gave their lives for this country.

Sources 

History of the American Flag - This is where I found much of my information on the American flag and I learned much about the history of it. 

American Flag - This source is where I found the picture and also on that source you are able to purchase the flag. 

American Flag Facts and Trivia - This is where I found the nicknames for the flag.