9781422287422

10 American Flag: The Story of Old Glory

Franklin was referring to the flag of the East India Company, which featured a field of alternating red and white stripes and the Cross of St. George—a red cross on a white field—in the upper left hand corner. His propos- al was received enthusiastically by others in the group, including George Washington. On January 1, 1776, only 20 days after the dinner, Washington hoisted this national flag for the first time at Prospect Hill, near Cambridge, Massachusetts. The flag had 13 alternating red and white stripes, with the Union Jack in the upper left corner. It was called the Grand Union flag. Later, it was called the Cambridge flag and the Continental flag. Of course, the Union Jack would eventually be replaced by the 13 white stars arranged in a circle on a blue background, signifying the 13 original colonies. But why was it so important to have a flag in the first place? After all, isn’t a flag only a piece of cloth, attached to a pole with a bunch of different colors? Actually, a flag is much

Make Connections According to a book published by the U.S. Congress in 1989, the colors of the flag do not have special meaning. However, tradition has given the following meanings: White, purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; blue, vigi- lance, perseverance and justice.

more than that. A flag is a symbol . It represents people united by a common bond or cause. This bond can be military, state, religious, or national. The flag is often used as a rallying point, as it