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The
American national flag has come through an eventful
course of changes. The flag which we see these days
has been effective since July 4, 1960. This was
following the inclusion of Hawaii in the United States
of America. However, this flag featuring 50 stars on a
canton against the background of 13 stripes - 7 red
and 6 white - has been evolved through a long course
of time. The American national flag has come through a
course of changes. It was changed some 27 times from
1777 to 1960. Let us take a journey along the
course of history to see how our national flag
has come to evolve through various
changes. Getting familiar with the changing faces
of the Flag. To know how it use to look years before
will be something exciting...Lets explore it.....
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American
ships in New England waters flew a "Liberty
Tree" flag in 1775. It shows a green pine tree on
a white background. |
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The
Continental Navy used this flag upon its inception. |
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The
"Grand Union" shown here is also called The
"Cambridge Flag." It was flown over Prospect
Hill, overlooking Boston, January 1, 1776. In the
canton (the square in the corner) are the crosses of
Saint Andrew and Saint George, borrowed from the
British flag. |
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The
"Betsy Ross" flag. |
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According
to some sources, this flag was first used in 1777. It
was used by the Third Maryland Regiment. There was no
official pattern for how the stars were to be
arranged. The flag was carried at the Battle of
Cowpens, which took place on January 17, 1781, in
South Carolina. The actual flag from that battle hangs
in the Maryland State House. |
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| At
the Battle of Bennington in August 1777 were two
famous flags. One, shown here, is called the
Bennington Flag or the Fillmore Flag. Nathaniel
Fillmore took this flag home from the battlefield. The
flag was passed down through generations of Fillmores,
including Millard, and today it can be seen at
Vermont's Bennington Museum. The other (not pictured)
has a green field and a blue canton with 13
gold-painted stars arranged in rows. General John
Stark gave his New Hampshire troops a rallying speech
that would be the envy of any football coach today. He
said, "My men, yonder are the Hessians. They were
brought for seven pounds and ten pence a man. Are you
worth more? Prove it. Tonight, the American flag
floats from yonder hill or Molly Stark sleeps a
widow!" |
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Vermont
and Kentucky joined the union in 1791 and 1792. This
flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes, was adopted by a
Congressional act of 1794. The flag became effective
May 1, 1795. |
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1818, the union consisted of 20 states. A
Congressional act mandated that the number of stripes
be fixed at 13 and that one new star was to be added
for each new state, the July 4 following its
admission. However, nothing was written about what
arrangement the stars should be in. This and the
following two flags were all used simultaneously. |
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Another
1818 flag (see above). |
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And
another 1818 flag (see above). This was called the
"Grand Star" flag. |
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Following
the Mexican-American War in 1846, the nation had 28
states. |
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1861, the nation had 34 states. Even after the South
seceded from the Union, President Lincoln would not
allow any stars to be removed from the flag. |
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In
1908, the United States had 46 states. It's
interesting to note that there was no official design
for the 46-star flag used from 1908 to 1912. |
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| In
1912, the United States had 48 states. A Presidential
order was issued fixing the position of the stars for
this flag. Presidential orders followed the adoption
of the flags of 1959 and 1960, as well |
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This flag was used
starting on July 4, 1959, after the admission of
Alaska to the Union on Jan. 3, 1959. |
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The
United States flag today. The 50th star was added on
July 4, 1960 for Hawaii, which entered the Union on
August 21, 1959. |
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