American Flag Speech Essay, Research Paper

First I would like to include some information about our american flag and how it came about. In the British colonies of North America before the Revolution, each of the 13 colonies had its flag. On Jan. 2, 1776, the first flag of the United States was raised at Cambridge, Mass., by George Washington. Known as the Grand Union flag, it consisted of 13 stripes, alternate red and white, with a blue canton bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. Congress, on June 14, 1777, enacted a resolution “that the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” On Jan. 13, 1794, Vermont and Kentucky having been admitted to the Union, Congress added a stripe and a star for each state. Congress in 1818 enacted that the 13 stripes, denoting the 13 original colonies, be restored and a star added to the blue canton for each state after its admission to the Union. All of the states and territories of the United States also have their own flags. Betsy Ross created the first flag. Betsy would often tell her children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends of the fateful day when three members of a secret committee from the Continental Congress came to call upon her. Those representatives, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, asked her to sew the first flag. This meeting occurred in her home some time late in May 1776. George Washington was then the head of the Continental Army. Robert Morris, an owner of vast amounts of land, was perhaps the wealthiest citizen in the Colonies. Colonel George Ross was a respected Philadelphian and also the uncle of her late husband, John Ross.

Naturally, Betsy Ross already knew George Ross as she had married his nephew. Furthermore, Betsy was also acquainted with the great General Washington. Not only did they both worship at Christ Church in Philadelphia, but Betsy’s pew was next to George and Martha Washington’s pew. Her daughter recalled, “That she was previously well acquainted with Washington, and that he had often been in her house in friendly visits, as well as on business. That she had embroidered ruffles for his shirt bosoms and cuffs, and that it was partly owing to his friendship for her that she was chosen to make the flag.”

In June 1776, brave Betsy was a widow struggling to run her own upholstery business. Upholsterers in colonial America not only worked on furniture but did all manner of sewing work, which for some included making flags. According to Betsy, General Washington showed her a rough design of the flag that included a six-pointed star. Betsy, a standout with the scissors, demonstrated . Impressed, the committee entrusted Betsy with making our first flag.

Until that time, colonies and militias used many different flags. Some are famous, such as the “Rattlesnake Flag” used by the Continental Navy, with its venomous challenge, “Don’t Tread on Me.”

Next I would like to try to explain what it represents to me. The american flag to me stands for hard fought for freedom. Through out the United States history we have fought wars to claim our independence and freedom. We have fought wars to abolish slavery and to make sure that all men are created equal. We have taken part in other country’s battles so that their country could escape the communistic government and become free. Many loyal American’s died in another country fighting in another country’s battle. The flag represents a land free of religious discrimination and racism. A land where you are free to worship what ever god you want and where racism is considered a crime. A land where jobs are plentiful and you are free to do almost whatever you want to. The American flag has been a part of American tradition ever since the 1700s, when the flag of Britain was lowered and the first flag of the United States of America was raised. It has become a symbol of national unity that every American person is familiar with. The thirteen red and white stripes represent the original thirteen states. The fifty white stars imposed on a blue background symbolize the fifty states in the Union. The color red stands for courage, bravery, heroism, and victory. The white stars and stripes are a symbol of peace, truth, honor, and light. Blue symbolizes democracy and freedom, all of which have made the United States the great nation it is today, and all were intended by the founders of our country to remain a part of the American intentions of freedom and justice. The flag has been implemented into the American patriotic spirit as more than a piece of cloth. It has inspired countless writings of songs and poems, including America’s National Anthem: the Star Spangled Banner. The image of the flag waving silently and gently in the breeze should remind every American of his or her duties to their nation, as well as to appreciate the divine freedoms that we have been giving. Through peace and through war, the flag has remained a symbol of the United States. May it remain like that that forever.