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So while Ross, a single mother who was widowed three times and operated her successful business, has remained a staple of American lore, her historic flag was most likely a family tall tale. With Wednesday marking Flag Day—which was celebrated as early as the late 1880s and which President Harry Truman made into a national day of observance in August 1949—let’s take a look at Hopkinson’s life and surprising connections to the flag. Though he was rejected, Hopkinson was only denied payment because “he was not the only one consulted” on the design of the flag. This might indicate that the creation of the flag was a group effort of sorts, one that may or may not have included Ross. The strongest piece of evidence that Ross created the flag is a receipt of more than 14 pounds paid to her on May 29, 1777 by the Pennsylvania State Navy Board. Nonetheless, it only said that the materials were for making “ships colours” — leaving any overwhelming proof to be desired.
Redesigning America's Flag: Six New Takes on Old Glory
It was the same design as the flag for the British East India Company that flew from 1701 to 1801. However, the British East India Company’s flag ranged from nine to thirteen red and white stripes and was usually only flown when it was sailing in the Indian Ocean. The Stars and Stripes changed on May 1, 1795, when Congress enacted the second Flag Resolution, which mandated that new stars and stripes be added to the flag when new states were admitted to the Union. The first two new states were Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792). In all, from 1777 to 1960 (after the admission of Hawaii in 1959), there were 27 versions of the flag—25 involving changes in the stars only.
American Flags
However, many experts believe the person actually responsible for designing the first version of “Old Glory” was a founding father named Francis Hopkinson. With no clear documentation that Ross actually designed the flag, this stance moves us no closer to the truth. Most historians credit Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress, with designing the first flag. This is largely due to a payment that he sought from the Board of Admiralty for his design of the “flag of the United States of America” in 1780.
On this day in history, September 3, 1777, 'Stars and Stripes' flies in battle for first time - Fox News
On this day in history, September 3, 1777, 'Stars and Stripes' flies in battle for first time.
Posted: Sun, 03 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Story Behind the Current American Flag Design
And there’s evidence that he was the creator of the American flag—not Ross, as her descendants and many history books have suggested. The current American flag wasn’t designed by some large team of professional flag artisans. While Heft was attending high school, he was asked to design a new American flag for a project. Heft submitted his design to Congress, assuming it would be rejected.
The 50-star American flag has been waving for more than half a century—but it could have looked much different. As early as 1953, people could see the writing on the wall that Alaska and Hawaii were going to be added as the 49th and 50th states. Over a period of six years, more than 3000 people submitted designs, from actual prototypes that were expertly sewn together to construction paper-and-crayon models made by elementary school children. Hopkinson was appointed to the Continental Navy Board in 1776, and there is written evidence suggesting he used this time to work on the American flag’s design. Famed seamstress Betsy Ross receives much of the glory for creating the American flag.
As history goes, however, Congress selected Heft’s design, thereby changing the American flag to its current variant consisting of 13 stripes and 50 stars. The Great Seal of the United States is a national symbol used in official documents such as treaties and commissions. The final design was approved in 1782 and includes a bald eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-like shield, the motto E Pluribus Unum (which translates to "out of many, one") and a constellation of stars. The U.S. flag features thirteen horizontal stripes of alternating red and white, seven red and six white. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white. We at Tuff Flags provide customers with a wide range of the highest quality flag products, printed fabric products, and accompanying hardware.
Continental Congress: Unprepared for War
The American flag is a source of American history, legend, unity and respect. Through the years the number of stars in the canton has increased with the addition of new states, and the meaning of the flag has expanded to unimaginable heights. From its unofficial beginning as the Continental Colors or Grand Union flag to the long serving 50-star American Flag, Americans have been on a quest to protect, preserve and serve the flag. Today the flag flies everywhere from classrooms to federal buildings to homes and even cars. It’s internationally recognized in every country and city around the world. The first “official” flag was “the Continental Colors,” also known as the “Grand Union Flag,” which consisted of thirteen red and white stripes and the United Kingdom’s flag in the upper-left-hand corner, also known as the canton.
However, the most simple explanation for the colors of the American flag is that it was modeled after British flags. For example, the Grand Union Flag, a predecessor to early stars and stripes designs, was likely based on the King's Colours or East India Company flag. A popular belief is that Elizabeth Griscom, a Philadelphia flag maker who was also known as Betsy Ross, sewed the first “official” flag in June 1776. The legend goes that George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross came to Betsy Ross’s house to discuss the design of a national flag. The original design had six-sided stars representing the thirteen colonies on a field of blue with red and white stripes. The three men, amazed at how quickly she could cut the five-pointed stars, assigned her with the task of sewing the flag.
The American flag we use today is not only the 27th version of this national banner, but it is also unlikely to have resulted from Betsy Ross’ work. Though most are aware of an early American flag with a circle of stars in the canton, the history of its gradual design changes remains largely unexplored. Not only was the first design likely inspired by the British East India Company, but the stars and stripes have never meant what you may think.
If a new U.S. state were to be admitted, it would require a new design of the flag to accommodate an additional star for a 51st state.[180] 51-star flags have been designed and used as a symbol by supporters of statehood in various jurisdictions. Journals from the Continental Congress also indicate Hopkinson designed the flag, but his requests for reimbursement were repeatedly denied for a couple reasons. Board of Treasury claimed Hopkinson wasn’t the flag’s sole designer, meaning he shouldn’t receive all the credit. Additionally, the board felt the affluent Hopkinson owed a service to the public, and members considered the flag his contribution. Hopkinson, who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and served as a delegate in the Continental Congress, was a lawyer, poet, satirist, musician, and an artist. Treasury and the state of New Jersey, as well as U.S. currency predating the dollar bill.
In the upper hoist canton is a union of blue with fifty white five-pointed stars arranged in nine horizontal offset rows. As new states joined, corresponding stars were added to the flag. With few specifications in place, a variety of creative star arrangements were produced. The orderly pattern of offset rows wasn’t standardized until 1959. With much of the evidence lost to history, historians disagree on which individuals designed and constructed early versions of the United States flag.
