[Senate Document 109-18]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




109th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - Senate Document 109-18


			OUR FLAG

                 __________





``I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE 
TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED 
STATES OF AMERICA AND TO 
THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT 
STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER 
GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY 
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.'' 






``The Star-Spangled Banner''
by Francis Scott Key, September 1814 
(Sung to the tune ``To Anacreon in Heaven'') 
``0 say! can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
0 say! does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
0'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
``On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream.
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner. 0 long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
``And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more? 
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave
0'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
``O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov'd home and war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n-rescued land
Praise the pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, 'In God is Our Trust.'
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.''










109th Congress, 2nd Session                               S.Doc. 109-18 
_______________________________________________________________________
 
                                    OUR FLAG


                            JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 

                              UNITED STATES CONGRESS 





                  




Printed by authority of Senate Concurrent Resolution 108, 109th Congress 


                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

                          WASHINGTON : 2007 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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  Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; 
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                       ISBN 978-0-16-076598-8 











                     PRINTED UNDER THE DIRECTION 

                              OF THE 

                     JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 

TRENT LOTT, Senator from Mississippi,  VERNON J. EHLERS, Representative from 
Chairman                               Michigan, Vice Chairman 
THAD COCHRAN, Senator from Mississippi JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, Representative from 
SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Senator from Georgia   California 
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Senator from Hawaii  THOMAS M. REYNOLDS, Representative from 
MARK DAYTON, Senator from Minnesota     New York 
                                       JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD, 
                                        Representative from California, 
                                        Ranking Minority Member 
                                       ROBERT A. BRADY, Represntative from 
                                        Pennsylvania 




                       SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 108 


                         (Submitted by Senator Lott) 




                            UNITED STATES SENATE 

                       109th Congress, 2nd Session 


                                July 18, 2006 


Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 

SEC. 2. OUR FLAG 
(a) IN GENERAL-The 2006 revised edition of the publication entitled 
``Our Flag'' shall be printed as a Senate document under the direction 
of the Joint Committee on Printing. 
(b) ADDITIONAL COPIES-In addition to the usual number, there shall 
be printed the lesser of- 
(1) 550,000 copies of the document, of which 440,000 copies 
shall be for the use of the House of Representatives, 100,000 copies 
shall be for the use of the Senate, and 10,000 copies shall be for the 
use of the 
Joint Committee on Printing; or 
(2) such number of copies of the document as does not exceed 
a total production and printing cost of $215,000 with distribution to 
be allocated in the same proportion as described in paragraph (1), 
except that in no case shall the number of copies be less than 1 for 
each Member 
of Congress. 

Introduction
 
During the night of September 13, 1814, the British fleet bombarded 
Fort McHenry in the harbor at Baltimore, Maryland. 
Francis Scott Key, a 34-year-old lawyer-poet, watched the 
attack from the deck of a British prisoner-exchange ship. He had gone 
to seek the release of a friend, but they were refused permission to 
go ashore until after the attack had been made. As the battle ceased 
on the following morning, Key turned his telescope to the fort and 
saw that the American flag was still waving. The sight so inspired 
him that he pulled a letter from his pocket and began to write the 
poem, which eventually was adopted as the national anthem of the 
United States-``The Star-Spangled Banner.'' Key was returned to 
Baltimore and later that day took a room at a Baltimore tavern where 
he completed the poem. 
Years later, Key told a hometown audience in Frederick, Maryland: 
``I saw the flag of my country waving over a city-the 
strength and pride of my native State-a city devoted to plunder 
and desolation by its assailants. I witnessed the preparation for 
its assaults. I saw the array of its enemies as they advanced to 
the attack. I heard the sound of battle; the noise of the conflict 
fell upon my listening ear, and told me that `the brave and the 
free' had met the invaders.'' 
The Joint Committee on Printing is pleased to present the latest 
edition of Our Flag. This Congressional publication briefly describes 
the history of the flag, and sets forth the practices and observances 
appropriate to its display. The Committee hopes that this document 
will be both useful and informative to its audience. 

Acknowledgement 
The Joint Committee on Printing extends thanks and appreciation 
to the individuals and organizations that contributed their knowledge 
to this booklet. 
``Let the praise, then, if any be due, be given, not 
to me, who only did what I could not help doing, 
not to the writer, but to the inspirers of the song!'' 
-Francis Scott Key 

The History of the Stars and Stripes 
The Stars and Stripes originated as a result of a resolution 
adopted by the Marine Committee of the Second 
Continental Congress at Philadelphia on June 14, 1777. 
The resolution read: 
``Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen 
stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen 
stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation.'' 
The resolution gave no instruction as to how many points the stars 
should have, nor how the stars should be arranged on the blue union. 
Consequently, some flags had stars scattered on the blue field without 
any specific design, some arranged the stars in rows, and some in a 
circle. The first Navy Stars and Stripes had the stars arranged in 
staggered 
formation in alternate rows of threes and twos on a blue field. Other 
Stars and Stripes flags had stars arranged in alternate rows of four, 
five and four. 
Some stars had six points while others had eight. 
Strong evidence indicates that Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey, a 
signer of the Declaration of Independence, was responsible for the 
stars in the U.S. flag. At the time that the flag resolution was 
adopted, Hopkinson was the Chairman of the Continental Navy Board's 
Middle Department. Hopkinson also helped design other devices for the
 Government including 
the Great Seal of the United States. For his services, Hopkinson 
submitted a letter to the Continental Admiralty Board asking ``whether 
a Quarter Cask of the public Wine will not be a proper & reasonable 
Reward for these Labours of Fancy and a suitable Encouragement to 
future Exertions of a like Nature.'' His request was turned down since 
the Congress regarded him as a public servant. 
1 

 An Early Stars and Stripes 
During the Revolutionary War, several patriots made flags 
for our new Nation. Among them were Cornelia Bridges, 
Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross, and Rebecca Young, all of Pennsylvania, 
and John Shaw of Annapolis, Maryland. Although Betsy Ross, the best 
known of these persons, made flags for 50 years, there is no proof that 
she made the first Stars and Stripes. It is known that she made flags for 
the Pennsylvania State Navy in 1777. The flag popularly known as the 
``Betsy Ross flag,'' which arranged the stars in a circle, did not appear 
until the early 1790's. 
The claims of Betsy Ross were first brought to the attention of the 
public in 1870 by one of her grandsons, William J. Canby. In a paper he 
read before the meeting of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Canby 
stated: 
``It is not tradition, it is report from the lips of the principal 
participator 
in the transaction, directly told not to one or two, but a dozen or more 
living witnesses, of which I myself am one, though but a little boy when 
I heard it.... Colonel Ross with Robert Morris and General Washington, 
called on Mrs. Ross and told her they were a committee of Congress, 
and wanted her to make a flag from the drawing, a rough one, which, 
upon her suggestions, was redrawn by General Washington in pencil in 
her back parlor. This was prior to the Declaration of Independence. I fix 
the date to be during Washington's visit to Congress from New York in 
June, 1776 when he came to confer upon the affairs of the Army, the flag 
being, no doubt, one of these affairs.'' 
2 

The Grand Union Flag
 
The first flag of the colonists to have any resemblance to 
the present Stars and Stripes was the Grand Union Flag, 
sometimes referred to as the Congress Colors, the First Navy 
Ensign, and the Cambridge Flag. Its design consisted of 13 stripes,
alternately 
red and white, representing the Thirteen Colonies, with a blue 
field in the upper left-hand corner bearing the red cross of St. George 
of 
England with the white cross of St. Andrew of Scotland. As the flag of 
the revolution it was used on many occasions. It was first flown by the 
ships of the Colonial Fleet on the Delaware River. On December 3, 1775, 
it was raised aboard Captain Esek Hopkin's flag-ship Alfred by John Paul 
Jones, then a Navy lieutenant. Later the flag was raised on the liberty 
pole at Prospect Hill, which was near George Washington's headquarters 
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was our unofficial national flag on July 
4, 1776, Independence Day; and it remained the unofficial national 
flag and ensign of the Navy until June 14, 1777, when the Continental 
Congress authorized the Stars and Stripes. 
Interestingly, the Grand Union Flag also was the standard of the 
British East India Company. It was only by degrees that the Union Flag of 
Great Britain was discarded. The final breach between the Colonies and 
Great Britain brought about the removal of the British Union from the 
canton of our striped flag and the substitution of stars on a blue field. 
3 

Fifteen Stars and Stripes
When two new States were admitted to the Union (Kentucky 
and Vermont), a resolution was adopted in January of 1794, 
expanding the flag to 15 stars and 15 stripes. This flag was 
the official flag of our country from 1795 to 1818, and was prominent 
in many historic events. It inspired Francis Scott Key to write ``The 
Star-Spangled Banner'' during the bombardment of Fort McHenry; it was 
the first flag to be flown over a fortress of the Old World when 
American Marine and Naval forces raised it above the pirate stronghold 
in Tripoli on April 27, 1805; it was the ensign of American forces in 
the Battle of Lake Erie in September of 1813; and it was flown by 
General Jackson in New Orleans in January of 1815. 
However, realizing that the flag would become unwieldy with a 
stripe for each new State, Capt. Samuel C. Reid, USN, suggested to 
Congress that the stripes remain 13 in number to represent the Thirteen 
Colonies and that a star be added to the blue field for each new State 
coming into the Union. Accordingly, on April 4, 1818, President Monroe 
accepted a bill requiring that the flag of the United States have a 
union of 20 stars, white on a blue field, and that upon admission of 
each new State into the Union one star be added to the union of the 
flag on the fourth of July following its date of admission. The 13 
alternating red and white stripes would remain unchanged. This act 
succeeded in prescribing the basic design of the flag, while assuring 
that the growth of the Nation would be properly symbolized. 
Eventually, the growth of the country resulted in a flag with 48 stars 
upon the admission of Arizona and New Mexico in 1912. Alaska added 
a 49th in 1959, and Hawaii a 50th star in 1960. With the 50-star flag 
came a new design and arrangement of the stars in the union, a 
requirement met by President Eisenhower in Executive Order No. 10834, 
issued August 21, 1959. To conform with this, a national banner with 
50 stars became the official flag of the United States. The flag was 
raised for the first time at 12:01 a.m. on July 4, 1960, at the 
Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Maryland. 
Traditionally a symbol of liberty, the American flag has carried the 
message of freedom to many parts of the world. Sometimes the same 
flag that was flying at a crucial moment in our history has been 
flown again in another place to symbolize continuity in our struggles 
for the cause of liberty. 
One of the most memorable is the flag that flew over the Capitol in 
Washington on December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. This 
same flag was raised again on December 8 when war was declared on 
Japan, and three days later at the time of the declaration of war 
against Germany and Italy. President Roosevelt called it the ``flag of
 liberation'' and carried it with him to the Casablanca Conference and 
on other historic occasions. It flew from the mast of the U.S.S. 
Missouri during the 
formal Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945. 
Another historic flag is the one that flew over Pearl Harbor on 
December 7, 1941. It also was present at the United Nations Charter 
meeting in San Francisco, California, and was used at the Big Three 
Conference at Potsdam, Germany. This same flag flew over the White 
House on August 14, 1945, when the Japanese accepted surrender terms. 
``Old Ironsides'' in the War of 1812. Courtesy U.S. Naval Academy Museum 
5 

Following the War of 1812, a great wave of nationalistic spirit spread 
throughout the country; the infant Republic had successfully defied the 
might of an empire. As this spirit spread, the Stars and Stripes became a 
symbol of sovereignty. The homage paid that banner is best expressed by 
what the gifted men of later generations wrote concerning it. 
The writer Henry Ward Beecher said: 
``A thoughtful mind when it sees a nation's flag, sees not 
the flag, but the nation itself. And whatever may be its symbols, 
its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag, the government, the 
principles, the truths, the history that belongs to the nation that 
sets it forth. The American flag has been a symbol of Liberty and 
men rejoiced in it. 
``The stars upon it were like the bright morning stars of God, 
and the stripes upon it were beams of morning light. As at early 
dawn the stars shine forth even while it grows light, and then as 
the sun advances that light breaks into banks and streaming lines 
of color, the glowing red and intense white striving together, and 
ribbing the horizon with bars effulgent, so, on the American flag, 
stars and beams of many-colored light shine out together ....'' 
In a 1917 Flag Day message, President Wilson said: 
``This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the 
emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a 
nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from 
generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic 
silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in 
peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us-speaks to 
us of the past, of the men and women who went before us, and 
of the records they wrote upon it. 
``We celebrate the day of its birth; and from its birth until now 
it has witnessed a great history, has floated on high the symbol of 
great events, of a great plan of life worked out by a great people.... 
``Woe be to the man or group of men that seeks to stand in 
our way in this day of high resolution when every principle we 
hold dearest is to be vindicated and made secure for the salvation 
of the nation. We are ready to plead at the bar of history, and our 
flag shall wear a new luster. Once more we shall make good with 
our lives and fortunes the great faith to which we were born, and 
a new glory shall shine in the face of our people.'' 
6 

Early American Flags
 
Archeological digs in northern India, dating around 3,500 B.C., 
have uncovered a seal, used to sign documents. The seal shows 
a procession of seven men carrying square standards, held 
aloft on poles like modern flags. While these ancient flags were 
rigid, like boards, and not made of cloth as modern flags are, they 
provided ample testimony that heraldry and the displaying of banners 
dated to the earliest civilizations. 
In American history, the Vikings carried a flag which bore a black 
raven on a field of white. In 1492 Columbus sailed to our shores with 
his three small ships displaying the Spanish flag bearing two red 
lions on two white fields and two yellow castles on two red fields. 
The Dutch brought their own striped flags when they settled in 
New Amsterdam, which we now call New York, and pioneers from other 
nations also brought along the standards of their countries when 
they settled on our shores. 
It is only natural, therefore, that America should create colonial 
flags as soon as the first colonists settled. Given the disparate 
array of settlers, it is not surprising that a wide variety of flags 
was created. 
The first flags adopted by our colonial forebears were symbolic of 
their struggles with the wilderness of the new land. Beavers, pine 
trees, rattlesnakes, anchors and various other insignia were  
different affixed to banners with mottoes such as ``Hope,'' 
`Liberty,'' ``Appeal to Heaven,'' or ``Don't Tread on Me.'' 
In the early days of the Revolution, there were colonial and 
regimental 
flags by the score. The Boston Liberty flag, consisting of nine 
alternate 
red and white horizontal stripes, flew over the Liberty Tree, a fine 
old elm 
in Hanover Square in Boston, where the Sons of Liberty met. Still 
another 
was a white flag with a green pine tree and the inscription, ``An 
Appeal 
to Heaven.'' This particular flag became familiar on the seas as 
the ensign 
of the cruisers commissioned by General Washington, and was noted 
by 
many English newspapers of the time. 
Flags with a rattlesnake theme also gained increasing prestige with 
colonists. The slogan ``Don't Tread on Me'' almost invariably appeared 
on rattlesnake flags. A flag of this type was the standard of the South 
Carolina Navy. Another, the Gadsden flag, consisted of a yellow field 
with a rattlesnake in a spiral coil, poised to strike, in the center. 
Below the 
snake was the motto, ``Don't Tread on Me.'' Similar was the Culpepper 
flag, 
banner of the Minutemen of Culpepper (now spelled Culpeper) County, 
Virginia. It consisted of a white field with a rattlesnake in a spiral 
coil in the 
center. Above the rattlesnake was the legend ``The Culpepper Minute 
Men'' 
and below, the motto, ``Liberty or Death'' as well as ``Don't Tread 
on Me.'' 
7 

In December of 1775, an anonymous Philadelphia correspondent 
wrote to Bradford's Pennsylvania Journal concerning the symbolic use 
of the snake. He began the letter by saying: 
``I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness that of any other 
animal, and that she has no eye-lids. She may, therefore, be esteemed 
an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once 
engaged, ever surrenders. She is, therefore, an emblem of magnanimity 
and true courage.'' 
It was probably the deadly bite of the rattler, however, which was 
foremost in the minds of its designers, and the threatening slogan 
``Don't Tread on Me'' added further significance to the design. 
The Moultrie flag was the first distinctive American flag displayed in 
the South. It flew over the ramparts of the fort on Sullivan's Island, 
which lies in the channel leading to Charleston, South Carolina, when 
the British fleet attacked on June 28, 1776. The British ships 
bombarded the fort for 10 hours. But the garrison, consisting of some 
375 regulars and a few militia, under the command of Col. William 
Moultrie, put up such a gallant defense that the British were forced 
to withdraw under cover of darkness. This victory saved the southern 
Colonies from invasion for another two years. The flag was blue, as 
were the uniforms of the men of the garrison, and it bore a white 
crescent in the upper corner next to the staff, like the silver 
crescents the men wore on their caps, in-scribed with 
the words ``Liberty or Death.'' 
The Maritime Colony of Rhode Island had its own flag, which was 
carried at Brandywine, Trenton, and Yorktown. It bore an anchor, 13 
stars, and the word ``Hope.'' Its white stars in a blue field are 
believed by 
many to have influenced the design of our national flag. 
The Army preferred its regimental flags on the battlefield instead of 
the Stars and Stripes. A popular form of the U.S. flag that was used 
in battle had the obverse (front) of the Great Seal in the canton. The 
Army also used the Stars and Stripes with 13 stars in a circle. The 
Stars and Stripes was officially used in Army artillery units in 1834, 
and in infantry units in 1842. 
8 

. 
Historical Flags 
FORT MOULTRIE 
South Carolinians defending Fort 
Moultrie in Charleston Harbor in 1776 
raised one of the earliest flags of American 
liberty. The blue corresponded to their uniform, 
the silver crescent appeared as a badge 
worn on their caps. The cause for which 
they fought-liberty-was emblazoned on 
the crescent. 
GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS 
General John Stark of New Hampshire 
commanded a militia brigade known as the 
``Green Mountain Boys.'' Tradition relates 
that its green flag was flown at the Battle of 
Bennington on August 16, 1777. As in many 
American flags, the stars here were arranged 
in an arbitrary fashion. Nevertheless they 
signified the unity of the Thirteen Colonies 
in their struggle for independence. 
RHODE ISLAND REGIMENT 
The State flags of America found their 
earliest forms during the Revolutionary War. 
The starry canton in the flag of the Rhode 
Island Regiment symbolized national unity, 
but the white field corresponded to the uniform 
of the State troops. The anchor symbol 
and motto which completed the design 
had been used for more than a century. 
The original flag may be found in the State 
House in Providence. 
COMMODORE PERRY'S FLAG 
During the War of 1812 Captain James 
Lawrence of the Chesapeake encouraged his 
men, as he lay dying, by exhorting ``Don't 
Give Up the Ship.'' Three months later at 
the Battle of Lake Erie, Commodore Perry 
emblazoned these words on a flag which 
carried him to victory. Similar flags and 
mottoes have inspired Americans throughout 
our two centuries of existence. 
BENNINGTON FLAG CAVALRY GUIDON 
Originally believed to have been carried During the Civil War a 
special version of during the Revolution, this flag is now seen the 
United States flag-with swallowtail and as having probably been made 
for the 50th stars of gold instead of white-was carried by anniversary 
of the Declaration of Independ-the cavalry. General Custer and others 
used ence in 1826. Its design is typical of the ex-the flag in 
succeeding decades in the West. uberant artistic expressions found in 
flags of the 19th century. 
9

The Flag Today
 
The flag of the United States of America has 13 horizontal 
stripes-7 red and 6 white-the red and white stripes alternating, 
and a union which consists of white stars of 5 points on 
a blue field placed in the upper quarter next to the staff and 
extending to the lower edge of the fourth red stripe from the top. 
The number of stars equals the number of States in the Union. The 
proportions of the flag as prescribed by Executive Order of 
President Eisenhower on August 21, 1959, are as follows: 
Hoist (width) of flag 1.0 
Fly (length) of flag 1.9 
Hoist (width) of union 0.5385 
Fly (length) of union 0.76 
Width of each stripe 0.769 
Diameter of each star 0.0616 
Flag Anatomy 
10 

. 
Flag Laws and Regulations 
The laws relating to the flag of the United States of America are found 
in detail in the United States Code. Title 4, Chapter 1 pertains to the 
flag and seal, seat of Government, and official territorial papers; 
Section 700, Title 18, Chapter 33 pertains to desecration of the flag 
and penalties; Title 36, Chapter 1 pertains to patriotic and national 
observances. These laws were supplemented by Executive Orders and 
Presidential Proclamations. Title 36, Chapter 1-PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS 
ï¿½301. National anthem; Star-Spangled Banner, conduct during playing 
During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all 
present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the 
flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should 
remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left 
shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should 
render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain 
this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, 
those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner 
they would if the flag were displayed there. 
Title 4, Chapter 1-THE FLAG 
ï¿½4. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery 
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, ``I pledge allegiance to the 
Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which 
it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and 
justice for all.'', should be rendered by standing at attention 
facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in 
uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and 
hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons 
in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the 
military salute. ï¿½5. Display and use of flag by civilians; codification 
of rules and customs; definition 
The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining 
to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is 
established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or 
organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations 
promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of 
the United States. The flag of the United States for the purpose of 
this chapter shall be defined according to Title 4, United States 
Code, Chapter 1, Section 1 and Section 2 and Executive Order 10834 
issued pursuant thereto. 
11 

ï¿½6. Time and occasions for display 
(a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise 
tosunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, 
when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 
twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of 
darkness. 
(b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously. 
(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is 
inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed. 
(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New 
Year's Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Lincoln's 
Birthday, February 12; Washington's Birthday, third Monday in 
February; Easter Sunday (variable), Mother's Day, second Sunday 
in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May: Memorial Day 
(half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; 
Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; 
Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday 
in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; 
Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, 
December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the 
President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of 
admission); 
and on State holidays. 
(e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main adminis-
tration building of every public institution. 
(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on 
election days. 
(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every 
schoolhouse. 
ï¿½7. Position and manner of display 
The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, 
should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, 
or, if 
there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line. 
(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except 
from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section. 
12 

Over the middle of a street With another flag on crossed staffs 
<<< north or east <<< 
A.M. P.M. On the same halyard with flags of 
Memorial Day states, cities and organizations 
Suspended over a sidewalk 
13 

Flag Illustrations
At an angle from a building On a speaker's platform 
When unveiling a statue On a wall 
or monument 
Draped over a casket 
14 

Flag Illustrations
In a procession 
Grouped with flags of other States, With flags of two or more nations 
cities and organizations 
Saluting the flag Proper display of bunting 
15 

(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back 
of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is 
displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the 
chassis or clamped to the right fender. 
(c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the 
same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, 
except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at 
sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during 
church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall 
display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or 
international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence 
or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place 
within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: 
Provided, that nothing in this section shall make unlawful the 
continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag 
of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, 
and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, 
with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the 
United Nations. 
(d) The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed 
with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the 
right, the flag's own right, and its staff should be in front of the 
staff of the other flag. 
(e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center 
and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of 
States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed 
from staffs. 
(f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of 
societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United 
States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are 
flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be 
hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed 
above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag's 
right. 
(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be 
flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be 
of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display 
of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of 
peace. 
(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff pro-
jecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or 
front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak 
of the staff unless the flag is at half staff. When the flag is suspended 
over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the 
16 

edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from 
the building. 
(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, 
the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, 
to the observer's left. When displayed in a window, the flag should 
be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left 
of the observer in the street. 
(j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should 
be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and 
west street or to the east in a north and south street. 
(k) When used on a speaker's platform, the flag, if displayed flat, 
should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed 
from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United 
States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, 
in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the 
clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the audience. Any other flag 
so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker 
or to the right of the audience. 
(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of 
unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the 
covering for the statue or monument. 
(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the 
peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The 
flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. 
On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon 
only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the 
flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of 
the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, 
or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the 
death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be 
displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or 
orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not 
inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former 
official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of 
the United States, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession 
may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff. The 
flag shall be flown at half-staff thirty days from the death of the 
President or a former President; ten days from the day of death of the 
Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the 
United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the 
day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme 
Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former 
Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; 
and on the day of death and the following 
17 

day for a Member of Congress. As used in this subsection- 
(1) the term ``half-staff'' means the position of the flag when itis 
one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff; 
(2) the term ``executive or military department'' means any 
agency listed under Sections 101 and 102 of Title 5, United 
States Code; and 
(3) the term ``Member of Congress'' means a Senator, a 
Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from 
Puerto Rico. 
(n) When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed 
that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag 
should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground. 
(o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a 
building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended 
vertically with the union of the flag to the observer's left upon 
entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag 
should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or 
lobby with the union to the north, when entrances are to the east 
and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. 
If there are entrances in more than two directions, the union 
should be to the east. 
ï¿½8. Respect for the Flag 
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of 
America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. 
Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional 
flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor. 
(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except 
as asignal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life 
or property. 
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the 
ground, the floor, water, or merchandise. 
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always 
aloft and free. 
(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or 
drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, 
but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, 
always 
arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red 
below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the 
front of the platform, and for decoration in general. 
18 

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored 
in such amanner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged 
in any way. (f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a 
ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, 
picture, 
or drawing of any nature. 
(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, 
hold-ing, carrying, or delivering anything. 
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any 
manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as 
cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise 
impressed on 
paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary 
use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or 
halyard from which the flag is flown. 
(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic 
uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military 
personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. 
The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living 
thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn 
on the left lapel near the heart. 
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a 
fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, 
preferably by burning. 
ï¿½9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of flag 
During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the 
flag is passing in a parade or in review, all persons present except 
those in uniform should face the flag and stand at attention with the 
right hand over the heart. Those present in uniform should render the 
military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove their headdress 
with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being 
over the heart. Aliens should stand at attention. The salute to the 
flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag 
passes. 
ï¿½10. Modification of rules and customs by President 
Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the 
United States of America, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or 
repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, 
by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, 
whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such 
alteration or additional 
rule shall be set forth in a proclamation. 
19 

Flag Presentation
 
Presentation of the flag during a ceremony should be preceded 
by a brief talk emphasizing the importance of the occasion. 
Following the presentation all present should salute the flag, 
recite the pledge of allegiance, and sing the national anthem. 
Folding the Flag 
1. Two persons, facing each other, hold the flag waist high and 
horizontally between them. 
2. The lower striped section is folded, lengthwise, over the blue field. 
Hold bottom to top and edges together securely. 
3. Fold the flag again, lengthwise, folded edge to open edge. 
4. A triangular fold is started along the length of the flag, from the 
end to the heading by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to 
meet the open edge. 
5. The outer point is turned inward parallel with the open edge, forming 
a second triangle. 
6. Repeat the triangular folding until the entire length of the flag is 
folded. 
7. When the flag is completely folded only the triangular blue field 
should be visible. 
20 

Care of Your Flag
The life of your flag depends on your care. Dirt can cut fabrics, 
dull colors, and cause wear. Most outdoor flags can be 
washed in mild detergent and thoroughly rinsed. Indoor and 
parade flags should be dry-cleaned. Many dry cleaners offer free cleaning 
of U.S. flags during the months of June and July. Damaged flags can be 
repaired and utilized as long as the overall dimensions are not 
noticeably altered. The American Legion, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts 
of America, all other major veterans' organizations and some local 
governments conduct proper flag retirement ceremonies. Store your flags 
in a well ventilated area away from any harsh chemicals or cleaning 
compounds. If your flag gets wet, never store it until it is completely 
dry. Wet folds cause permanent creases. Dampness ruins fabric and causes 
mildew. Pole care is also related to flag care. Rust and scale cause 
permanent stains and some metallic oxides actually eat holes in fabric. 
Sizes of Flags 
The size of the flag is determined by the exposed height of 
the flagpole from which it is flying. The only consideration 
is for the flag to be in proper proportion to its pole. Flags 
which fly from angled poles on homes and those which are displayed on 
standing poles in offices and other indoor displays are usually 
either 3' x 5' or 4' x 6'. Color guards usually carry flags measuring 
4' x 6'. Other recommended sizes are shown in the following table: 
FLAGPOLE HEIGHT (FT.) FLAG SIZE (FT.) 
20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 x 6 
25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 x 8 
40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 x 10 
50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 x 12 
60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 x 15 
70 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 x 18 
90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 x 25
125 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 x 30
200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 x 40
250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 x 50
21 

Flags at the United States Capitol
No record has been found for the earliest date the flag was 
flown over the east and west fronts of the Capitol. Early 
of the Capitol show flags flying on either side of the original low dome 
engravings and lithographs in the office of the Architect 
above the corridors connecting the areas now known as Statuary Hall 
and the Old Senate Chamber. 
After the addition of the new House and Senate wings in the 1850s, 
even before the great dome was completed in 1863, photographs of the 
period show flags flying over each new wing and the central east and 
west fronts. 
The custom of flying the flags 24 hours a day over the east and 
west fronts was begun during World War I. This was done in response 
to requests received from all over the country urging that the flag of 
the United States be flown continuously over the public buildings in 
Washington, DC. 
The east and west front flags, which are 8 x 12 feet, are replaced by 
new ones when they become worn and unfit for further use. Prior to 
machine-made flags, individuals were hired by the Congress to hand sew 
these flags. 
Presidential proclamations and laws authorize the display of the flag 
24 hours a day at the following places: 
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, 
Maryland (Presidential Proclamation No. 2795, July 2, 1948). 
Flag House Square, Albemarle and Pratt Streets, Baltimore Maryland 
(Public Law 83-319, approved March 26, 1954). 
United States Marine Corp Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia 
(Presidential Proclamation No. 3418, June 12, 1961). 
On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts (Public Law 
89-335, approved November 8, 1965). 
The White House, Washington, DC (Presidential Proclamation No. 
4000, September 4, 1970). 
Washington Monument, Washington, DC (Presidential Proclamation 
No. 4064, July 6, 1971, effective July 4, 1971). Fifty flags of the 
United States 
are displayed at the Washington Monument continuously. 
United States Customs Ports of Entry which are continually open 
(Presidential Proclamation No. 4131, May 5, 1972). 
Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, 
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (Public Law 94-53, approved July 4, 1975). 
Many other places fly the flag at night as a patriotic gesture by c
ustom. 
22 

How to Obtain a 
Flag Flown Over the Capitol 
Constituents may arrange to purchase flags that have been flown 
over the Capitol by getting in touch with their Senators or 
Representatives. A certificate signed by the Architect of the 
Capitol accompanies each flag. Flags are available for purchase in 
sizes of 3' x 5' or 5' x 8' in fabrics of cotton and nylon. 
23 

American War Mothers Flag
The American War Mothers is a national organization chartered 
by Congress with its headquarters in Washington, DC. Its 
members are mothers whose sons and daughters have served 
or who are serving in the Armed Forces. Its objective is to aid 
the serviceman 
or veteran and his family, including those who are hospitalized. 
According to records in the Office of the Architect of the U.S. Capitol, 
the American War Mothers flag was purchased by them and first flown 
over the U.S. Capitol, always below the American flag, on Armistice Day, 
November 11, 1926. 
The authority for flying that flag over the U.S. Capitol on this 
occasion and in subsequent years has been granted annually by written 
permission of the Vice President and the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives. 
Provision for the ceremony was further recognized when the flagpole 
on the east front, after the extension of 1960, was installed with 
two halyards. 
Traditionally the flag has been raised at 11 minutes after 11 a.m. by 
a detail from the Capitol Police. The flag flies until sundown, although 
originally it flew only for three hours. A bugler selected from one of 
the armed services plays taps. Brief memorial services are held in 
connection 
with the ceremony. These services have been accommodated on the east 
and west front steps or in Statuary Hall, and permission to hold them is 
generally granted in the same letter that permits the flag to be flown. 
The act of July 1, 1882, regulating the use of the Capitol Grounds, 
vests the Vice President and the Speaker with the authority to grant 
this privilege. 
The American War Mothers flag is kept in a safe at the U.S. Capitol. 
The present flag, first used in 1970, replaced the original woolen flag 
of 1926. It is of a synthetic fabric, 47 x 72 inches in size, consisting 
of a white field with a red border 11 inches wide. At the top is an 
11-inch blue star for the 4,695,039 who served in World War I. These 
figures are 2 1/inches in blue. Across the center in 4-inch letters 
are the words ``United States Service Flag.'' Below is an 11-inch gold 
star for the 60,672 who gave their lives. These figures are 
2 1/2 inches high in gold. 
24 

How to Obtain a Burial Flagfor a Veteran 
Any honorably discharged veteran is entitled to a burial flag. 
The funeral director, as part of the services, will make the 
necessary arrangements for the family on behalf of the veteran. 
The flag may be used to cover the casket and it is presented to the 
family as a keepsake. The local office of the Department of Veterans' 
Affairs can also provide information on the procedure for obtaining 
a flag for a deceased veteran. 
25 

Flags of States and Territories
ALABAMA ALASKA 
Entered the Union in 1819 as the 22nd 
State; flag adopted in 1895. The diagonal 
cross and the square shape of the flag recall 
the Battle Flag of the Confederacy, organized 
in February of 1861 in Montgomery, 
Alabama's capital.
Entered the Union in 1959 as the 49th 
State; flag adopted in 1927. Benny Benson, 
a 13-year-old student, chose the North 
Star and the Big Dipper when he designed 
Alaska's flag in a territorial school contest. 
Its colors recall the Alaskan sky and its gold. 
ARIZONA 
Entered the Union in 1912 as the 48th 
state; flag adopted in 1917. Red and yellow 
are the colors of Spain, while blue is for the 
United States and the copper star symbolizes 
mineral resources. The rays suggest the 
setting sun over the desert. 
ARKANSAS 
Entered the Union in 1836 as the 25th 
State; flag adopted in 1913, modified in 
1923 and 1924. Arkansas' rank in the Union 
is indicated by the stars which border the 
diamond, recalling that it is the only State 
where minerals are mined. The four stars in 
the diamond refer to important aspects of 
Arkansas history. 
26

CALIFORNIA 
Entered the Union in 1850 as the 31st 
State; flag adopted in 1911, modified in 
1953. Americans, in what was then Mexican 
territory, proclaimed the independence of 
California on June 14, 1846. The banner of 
their ``Bear Flag Republic'' was later adopted 
by the State. 
COLORADO 
Entered the Union in 1876 as the 38th 
State; flag adopted in 1911, modified in 
1964. Yellow and white refer to the mining 
of gold and silver, while these colors plus 
blue are found in the Rocky Mountain columbine, 
the State flower. Red is also for the 
Spanish word for that color-colorado. 
CONNECTICUT DELAWARE 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as Ratified the Constitution on 
December 1, 
the fifth State; flag adopted in 1897. The 1787, as the first State; 
flag adopted in 1913. grapevines in the coat of arms refer to the 
Revolutionary War uniforms are honored in three original colonies-
Connecticut, New the blue and buff colors while commerce Haven, and 
Saybrook. The motto ``He Who (the ship), and agriculture (wheat, 
corn, ox, Brought Us Over Will Sustain Us,'' is based farmer) are 
featured in the coat of arms. 
on the 80th Psalm. 
27 

FLORIDA 
Entered the Union in 1845 as the 27th 
State; flag adopted in 1900, modified in 
1985. The cross derives from the Confederate 
Battle Flag. The State seal shows a Seminole 
woman, a steamboat, and the State tree-a 
sabal palmetto palm. 
GEORGIA 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 
fourth State; redesign adopted in 2003 based 
on the first national flag of the Confederacy. 
In the center of the blue canton is a circle of 
13 white stars, symbolizing Georgia and the 
other 12 original states. Within the circle of 
stars is Georgia's coat of arms immediately 
above the words ``In God We Trust''. 
HAWAII IDAHO 
Entered the Union in 1959 as the 50th Entered the Union in 1890 as the 
43rd State; flag adopted in 1816, modified in State; flag adopted in 
1927. The seal incor1845. The British Union Jack recalls the porates 
symbols of agriculture, mining, for-one presented to King Kamehameha I 
in estry, wildlife, and women's rights. The 1793 by Captain George 
Vancouver. The Latin motto means ``May She Last Forever.'' 
eight stripes are for the principal islands of Hawaii.
28 

ILLINOIS 
Entered the Union in 1818 as the 21st 
State; flag adopted in 1915, modified in 
1970. The central design is from the State 
seal and shows national symbols plus dates 
of Statehood (1818) and the seal itself 
(1868). 
INDIANA 
Entered the Union in 1816 as the 19th 
state; flag adopted in 1917. The outer ring 
of stars is for the original States, the inner 
ring for those up to and including Indiana. 
Enlightenment and liberty spreading 
throughout the land are represented by the 
torch and rays. 
IOWA KANSAS 
Entered the Union in 1846 as the 29th 
State; flag adopted in 1921. The eagle and 
motto ribbon are found in the State seal. 
The stripes recall the French Tricolor since 
Iowa was acquired from France as part of the 
Louisiana Purchase.
Entered the Union in 1861 as the 34th 
State; flag adopted in 1925, modified in 
1927 and 1963. A sunflower, the State floral 
emblem, appears above the State seal with 
figures representing pioneer life. The motto 
means ``To the Stars Through Difficulties.'' 
29 

KENTUCKY 
Entered the Union in 1792 as the 15th 
State; flag adopted in 1918, modified in 
1962. The frontiersman and hunter, representing 
Kentucky and the original States, 
express the meaning of the motto in the 
seal. The State flower (goldenrod) frames 
the design at the bottom. 
LOUISIANA 
Entered the Union in 1812 as the 18th 
State; flag adopted in 1912. In heraldry a 
pelican tearing at her breast to feed her 
young is a symbol of self sacrifice. Louisiana 
used this symbol as a territory prior to 
Statehood. 
MAINE 
Entered the Union in 1820 as the 23rd 
State; flag adopted in 1909. The motto ``I 
Direct'' refers to the North Star, Maine having 
once been the northernmost State. 
Agriculture, shipping and forestry are symbolized 
by other elements in the coat of arms. 
MARYLAND 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 
seventh State; flag adopted in 1904. The 
coat of arms of the Lords Baltimore unites 
symbols of the Calvert and Crossland families. 
Maryland has used similar flags since 
at least 1638. 
30 

MASSACHUSETTS 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 
sixth State; flag adopted in 1908, modified 
in 1971. The State motto translates ``This 
Hand Opposed to Tyrants Searches, with 
the Sword, for Peaceful Conditions Under 
Liberty.'' The star indicates Statehood while 
the Native American was a Massachusetts 
symbol as early as 1629. 
MICHIGAN 
Entered the Union in 1837 as the 26th 
State; flag adopted in 1911. The national 
motto is accompanied in the Michigan arms 
by the slogans ``I Shall Defend'' and ``If You 
Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look Around 
You.'' An elk, moose, and scenes from 
nature are included in the design. 
MINNESOTA 
Entered the Union in 1858 as the 32nd 
State; flag adopted in 1957. A scene from 
pioneer life appears in the State seal together 
with the motto ``The North Star.'' The 
nineteen stars indicate Minnesota's rank in 
Statehood, following the original thirteen 
States. 
MISSISSIPPI 
Entered the Union in 1817 as the 20th 
State; flag adopted in 1894. The State flag 
is a combination of two Confederate flags- 
the Stars and Bars and the Battle Flag, both 
including the national colors. 
31 

MISSOURI 
Entered the Union in 1821 as the 24th 
State; flag adopted in 1913. On a background 
of the national colors appear the 
Missouri arms framed by stars indicating 
its order of Statehood. The Latin motto 
means ``Let the Welfare of the People Be the 
Supreme Law.'' 
MONTANA 
Entered the Union in 1889 as the 41st 
State; flag adopted in 1905, modified 1981. 
The State seal shows the Great Falls of the 
Missouri River and tools indicating mining 
and agriculture. The motto ``Gold and 
Silver'' appears on a ribbon below. 
NEBRASKA NEVADA 
Entered the Union in 1867 as the 37th 
State; flag adopted in 1925. Included in 
the State seal are the Rocky Mountains, the 
Missouri River, wheat and corn, a steamboat, 
a train, and a blacksmith with his 
hammer and anvil. 
Entered the Union in 1864 as the 36th 
state; flag adopted in 1991. Sprigs of sagebrush 
the state flower, form a wreath on 
Nevada's flag. The silver star symbolizes 
Nevada's mineral wealth, and the words 
``Battle Born'' indicate that Nevada became 
a state during the Civil War. 
32 

NEW HAMPSHIRE 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 
ninth State; flag adopted in 1909, modified 
in 1932. The importance in New Hampshire 
of shipbuilding during the Revolutionary 
War is suggested by the State seal. The nine 
stars correspond to New Hampshire's rank 
among the States. 
NEW JERSEY 
Ratified the Constitution in 1787 as the 
third State; flag adopted in 1896. The buff 
background is for the uniforms worn by 
Revolutionary War soldiers from New Jersey. 
The coat of arms has the goddesses of liberty 
and agriculture, as well as three plows and 
a horse's head. 
NEW MEXICO NEW YORK 
Entered the Union in 1912 as the 47th 
State; flag adopted in 1925. The red and 
gold colors of Spain, which once ruled the 
area, are combined with an ancient sun 
symbol of the Zia tribe of Native Americans 
in this flag. 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 
11th State; flag adopted in 1901. The coat of 
arms shows a scene along the Hudson River, 
framed by goddesses of liberty and justice. 
The American eagle surmounts the world at 
the top; the motto ``Excelsior'' appears below. 
33 

NORTH CAROLINA 
Ratified the Constitution in 1789 as 
the 12th State; flag adopted in 1885. The 
national colors, a star for Statehood, and 
the initials of the State are included. The 
dates are for the Mecklenburg Declaration 
of Independence (May 20, 1775) and the 
Halifax Resolves (April 12, 1776). 
NORTH DAKOTA 
Entered the Union in 1889 as the 39th 
State; flag adopted in 1911. A military flag 
with a modified version of the United States 
coat of arms was carried by the Dakota 
Territorial Guard and later the North Dakota 
National Guard. The State flag is a modified 
version of those banners. 
OHIO OKLAHOMA 
Entered the Union in 1803 as the 17th 
State; flag adopted in 1902. The only non-
rectangular State flag has stars indicating 
Ohio's order of Statehood. The red disk and 
white rim are for the State tree (the buckeye) 
and first letter of the State name. 
Entered the Union in 1907 as the 46th 
State; flag adopted in 1925, modified 1941 
and 1988. An Osage shield stands for 
defense, its small crosses for lofty ideals. The 
blue background symbolizes loyalty, while 
the olive branch and calumet are for peace. 
34 

OREGON 
Entered the Union in 1859 as the 33rd 
State; flag adopted in 1925. The ox wagon 
of pioneers combines with scenes of nature 
and symbols of agriculture and shipping. The 
reverse of the flag is blue with a gold beaver. 
RHODE ISLAND 
Ratified the Constitution in 1790 as the 
13th State; flag adopted in 1897. An anchor 
traditional symbol of hope, was first adopted 
by Rhode Island as a symbol in 1647. 
Rhode Island troops in the Revolutionary 
War carried flags of white with an anchor 
and thirteen stars. 
PENNSYLVANIA 
Ratified the Constitution in 1787 as 
the second State; flag adopted in 1907. 
The coat of arms incorporates a ship for 
commerce and a plow and wheat sheaves 
for agriculture. Draft horses, the American 
eagle, and the State motto complete the 
design. 
SOUTH CAROLINA 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as 
the eighth State; flag adopted in 1861. 
Troops defending harbor forts during the 
Revolutionary War displayed a blue flag with 
a white crescent. The State tree, a palmetto, 
was added to the flag when South Carolina 
proclaimed its independence in 1861. 
35 

SOUTH DAKOTA 
Entered the Union in 1889 as the 40th 
State; flag adopted in 1963 and redesigned 
in 1992. The flag features the state seal surrounded 
by a golden blazing sun in a field 
of sky blue. Letters reading ``South Dakota, 
The Mount Rushmore State'' -the official 
state nickname-are arranged in a circle 
around the sun. 
TENNESSEE 
Entered the Union in 1796 as the 16th 
State; flag adopted in 1905. The three stars 
refer to the act that Tennessee was the third 
State to join after the Original Thirteen and 
is composed of three geographic regions. 
The colors are found in the flags of the 
United States and of the Confederacy. 
TEXAS 
Entered the Union in 1845 as the 28th 
State; flag adopted in 1839. The American 
origin of the settlers who revolted against 
Mexican rule and established the independent 
Republic of Texas was reflected in the 
flags they carried, including the one which 
eventually became the State flag of the 
``Lone Star State.'' 
UTAH 
Entered the Union in 1896 as the 45th 
State; flag adopted in 1911, modified in 
1913. The beehive symbolizes industry, 
while the American eagle and flags stand for 
loyalty to the Nation. The early settlers were 
saved from starvation by eating the sego 
lily, now recognized as the State flower. 
36 

VERMONT VIRGINIA 
Entered the Union in 1791 as the 14th 
State; flag adopted in 1923. The coat of 
arms, based on the State seal, shows a scene 
from nature with pine tree and mountains. 
Branches of pine below commemorate the 
1814 Battle of Plattsburgh. 
Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 
10th State, flag adopted in 1861. The Latin 
motto ``Thus Ever to Tyrants'' is reflected 
in the design of the seal, which shows a 
woman subduing a king. Around the edges 
are vines of ivy known as Virginia creeper. 
WASHINGTON 
Entered the Union in 1889 as the 42nd 
State; flag adopted in 1923, modified in 
1967. The ``Evergreen State'' shows the color 
green for the background of its flag, which 
bears the State seal. The president for whom 
the State was named was made part of the 
seal in 1889. 
WEST VIRGINIA 
Entered the Union in 1863 as the 35th 
State; flag adopted in 1905, modified in 
1907 and 1929. The big laurel, the State 
flower, frames the shield of the State seal. 
The hunter and miner stand over a motto 
meaning ``Mountaineers Are Always Free.'' 
37 

WISCONSIN 
Entered the Union in 1848 as the 30th 
State; flag adopted in 1913, modified in 
1981. Various symbols of agriculture, mining, 
shipping, and industry are found in 
the coat of arms of Wisconsin. The badger 
over the shield is a reference to the State 
nickname. 
WYOMING 
Entered the Union in 1890 as the 44th 
State; flag adopted in 1917. The State seal 
appears on a silhouette of a bison, familiar 
to 19th century settlers. The red is for 
Native Americans, white for purity, and blue 
for the sky, justice, and loyalty. 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
Established in 1791; flag adopted in 
1938. The design was based on the shield 
from George Washington's family coat of 
arms. It has no historical relationship to 
the Stars and Stripes, despite the similarity 
of design. 
AMERICAN SAMOA 
Unincorporated American territory since 
1900; flag adopted in 1960. Red, white, 
and blue are the colors of Samoa and the 
United States. The American bald eagle 
holds traditional Samoan symbols, a staff 
and war club. 
38 

GUAM 
Established as a territory of the United 
States in 1898; flag adopted in 1917, modified 
in 1948. The traditional Chamorro canoe, 
a palm tree, and the mouth of the Agaï¿½a 
River appear in the seal. The shape of the seal 
recalls the ancient Guamanian sling stone. 
NORTHERN MARIANAS 
Commonwealth established in 1986; flag 
adopted in 1972. Blue is for the Pacific 
Ocean, the star for the commonwealth. 
The gray latte stone is for Taga, a legendary 
Chamorro. The Stone and star are surrounded 
by the traditional Carolinian mwaar. 
PUERTO RICO VIRGIN ISLANDS 
Commonwealth established in 1952; flag Established as a territory of 
the United adopted in 1952. Based on the Cuban flag States in 1917; 
flag adopted in 1921. The and, ultimately, the Stars and Stripes, the 
coat of arms of the United States has been flag of Puerto Rico was 
created in 1895 simplified and stylized for use in the terwhen 
the island was seeking independence ritorial flag together with the 
initials of the from Spain. islands. Many believe the arrows stand for 
St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. 
Text by Dr. Whitney Smith, Flag Research Center, Winchester, 
Massachusetts. 
39 

Flag Day
E 
ach year on June 14, we celebrate the birthday of the Stars and 
Stripes, which came into being on June 14, 1777. At that time, 
the Second Continental Congress authorized a new flag to symbolize 
the new Nation, the United States of America. 
The Stars and Stripes first flew in a Flag Day celebration in Hartford, 
Connecticut in 1861, during the first summer of the Civil War. The first 
national observance of Flag Day occurred June 14, 1877, the centennial 
of the original flag resolution. 
By the mid 1890s the observance of Flag Day on June 14 was a popular 
event. Mayors and governors began to issue proclamations in their 
jurisdictions to celebrate this event. 
In the years to follow, public sentiment for a national Flag Day 
observance greatly intensified. Numerous patriotic societies and veterans 
groups became identified with the Flag Day movement. Since their main 
objective was to stimulate patriotism among the young, schools were the 
first to become involved in flag activities. 
In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation calling for 
a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14. It was not until 1949 
that Congress made this day a permanent observance by resolving ``That 
the 14th day of June of each year is hereby designated as Flag Day . . .'' 
The measure was signed into law by President Harry Truman. 
Although Flag Day is not celebrated as a Federal holiday, Americans 
everywhere continue to honor the history and heritage it represents. 
40 

The Great Seal of the United States
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution 
authorizing a committee to devise a seal for the United States of 
America. This mission, designed to reflect the Founding Fathers' 
beliefs, values, and sovereignty of the new Nation, did not become a 
reality until June 20, 1782. 
In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning. 
Even colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white, and blue 
did not have meanings for the Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 
1777. However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings. 
Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reporting to 
Congress on the Seal, stated: 
``The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the 
flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and 
innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief 
(the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance 
& justice.'' The obverse front of the Great Seal-which is used 2,000 
to 3,000 times a year-authenticates the President's signature on 
numerous official documents such as treaty ratifications, international 
agreements, appointments of Ambassadors and civil officers, and 
communications from the President to heads of foreign governments. The 
design of the obverse of the Seal, which is the U.S. coat of arms, can 
be shown on coins, postage stamps, passports, monuments and flags, 
and in many other ways. The American public sees both the obverse and 
less familiar reverse, which is never used as a seal, every day when 
exchanging the $1 dollar bill. 
The Great Seal die, counter die, press, and cabinet in which they are 
housed, are located in the Exhibit Hall of the Department of State 
inside a locked glass enclosure. An officer from the Department's 
Presidential Appointments Staff does the actual sealing of documents 
after the Secretary of State has countersigned the President's 
signature. 
41 

ObverseThe American bald eagle is prominently featured supporting a 
shield composed of 13 red and white stripes (pales) representing the 
Thirteen Original States with a blue bar (chief) uniting the shield 
and representing Congress. The motto of the United States, E Pluribus 
Unum (meaning out of many, one), refers to this union. The olive 
branch and 13 arrows grasped by the eagle allude to peace and war, 
powers solely vested in the Congress, and the constellation of stars 
symbolizes the new Nation taking its place 
among the sovereign powers. 
ReverseThe pyramid signifies strength and duration: The eye over it 
and the motto, Annuit Coeptis (meaning He, [God] has favored our 
undertakings), allude to the many interventions of Providence in 
favor of the American cause. The Roman numerals below are the date 
of the Declaration of Independence. The words under it, Novus Ordo 
Seclorum (meaning a new order of the ages), signify the beginning 
of the new American era in 1776.42

Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry is located in Baltimore, Maryland. This low 
citadel overlooks the entrance to Baltimore harbor, and it is 
where the Americans defended the city against British land 
and naval attack on September 13-14 in 1814. It was during this battle 
that Francis Scott Key began the draft to ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' 
after seeing the flag still flying after a day and night of bombardment. 
The fort continued in active military service for nearly a century 
after the battle, but changing technology eventually made it obsolete as 
a coastal defense system. Today the 43-acre fort is preserved as a 
national monument and historic shrine. The property is managed by the 
National Park Service, and the flag is flown over the fort 24 hours a 
day. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historical Shrine ï¿½ Paul A. 
Souders/CORBIS 
43 

The Flag House
T 
he Flag House is located on the northwest corner of 
Albermarle and Pratt Streets in Baltimore, Maryland. It was 
the home of Mary Pickersgill from 1807 to 1857, and it was 
where she made the original ``Star-Spangled Banner,'' which measured 
30 by 42 feet. The stripes were two feet wide and the stars were two feet 
from point to point. Mrs. Pickersgill was paid $405.90 for her services. 
The flag was delivered to Fort McHenry on August 19, 1813, a full year 
before the Battle of Baltimore. 
In 1876, Caroline Pickersgill Purdy wrote a letter to Georgiana Armistead 
Appleton, daughter of the Fort McHenry Commandant, in which she 
recounted the details of the making of the flag. Caroline wrote: 
``It was made by my mother, Mrs. Mary Pickersgill, and I assisted 
her. My grandmother, Rebecca Young, made the first flag of the 
Revolution under General Washington's directions, and for this reason 
my mother was selected by Commodore Barney and General Stricker 
to make this star-spangled banner, being an exceedingly patriotic 
woman. This flag, I think, contained four hundred yards of bunting, 
and my mother worked many nights until twelve o'clock to complete 
it in a given time.'' 
The flag bears the autograph of Lt. Col. George Armistead as well as 
the date of the British bombardment. The flag remained in the Armistead 
family for many years until it was loaned to the Smithsonian for an 
official display in 1907. On December 19, 1912, it was donated to the 
Smithsonian where it is now on permanent exhibit. In 1914, much-
needed preservative work was done on the flag by Mrs. Amelia Fowler 
and several other restoration experts. Although the flag was reduced in 
size in order to repair it, the reinforcement technique used has 
preserved its existence. 
The Flag House is a National Historic Landmark, and is operated by 
an independent non-profit association. The flag is flown over the house 
24 hours a day. 
44 

Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
``I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF 
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE 
REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION 
UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND 
JUSTICE FOR ALL.'' 
The Pledge of Allegiance received official recognition by Congress 
in an Act approved on June 22, 1942. However, the pledge was first 
published in 1892 in the Youth's Companion magazine in Boston, 
Massachusetts to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of 
America, and was first used in public schools to celebrate Columbus Day 
on October 12,1892. 
In its original version, the pledge read ``my flag'' instead of the ``flag 
of the United States.'' The change in the wording was adopted by the 
National Flag Conference in 1923. The rationale for the change was that it 
prevented ambiguity among foreign-born children and adults who might 
have the flag of their native land in mind when reciting the pledge. 
The phrase ``under God'' was added to the pledge by a Congressional 
act approved on June 14, 1954. At that time, President Eisenhower said: 
``in this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious 
faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly 
strengthen those spiritual weapons, which forever will be our country's 
most powerful resource in peace and war.'' 
45 

The American's Creed
I BELIEVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS 
A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, 
FOR THE PEOPLE; WHOSE JUST POWERS ARE 
DERIVED FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED; A 
DEMOCRACY IN A REPUBLIC, A SOVEREIGN NATION 
OF MANY SOVEREIGN STATES; A PERFECT UNION, 
ONE AND INSEPARABLE; ESTABLISHED UPON THOSE 
PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, JUSTICE, 
AND HUMANITY FOR WHICH AMERICAN PATRIOTS 
SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES AND FORTUNES. 
I THEREFORE BELIEVE IT IS MY DUTY TO 
MY COUNTRY TO LOVE IT; TO SUPPORT ITS 
CONSTITUTION; TO OBEY ITS LAWS; TO RESPECT ITS 
FLAG; AND TO DEFEND IT AGAINST ALL ENEMIES. 
The Creed was written in 1918 by William Tyler Page of Friendship 
Heights, Maryland in the course of a nationwide contest on the subject. 
Page was a descendent of President Tyler, and Representative John Page, 
who served in the Congress from 1789-97. 
William Tyler Page began his government career as a Congressional 
page in December of 1881. In 1919, he was elected Clerk of the House of 
Representatives, and held that position until December of 1931. A new 
post, Emeritus Minority Clerk, was then created for him which he occupied 
until his death on October 20, 1942. 
46 

School Projects
The study of the history and symbolism of flags is known as 
VEXILLOLOGY from the Latin word, VEXILLUM, which means a 
square flag or banner. 
Numerous books have been written about the flag. Local and school 
libraries should have a catalog reference for these books. Also, military 
and veterans organizations as well as the Daughters of the American 
Revolution and the American Legion provide useful information on the 
flag and flag code. 
You also can find the complete flag code, including laws and proclamations 
in the depository library in your Congressional district. Your 
local librarian can assist you in obtaining information from your nearest 
depository library. 
FURTHER READING 
The Library of Congress prepared this list for use by students interested 
in learning more about the flag of the United States. These publications 
may be 
found in school and public libraries. 
Behrens, June. Flag for a New Country: The Betsy Ross Story: A Play. 
Newport Beach, 
CA: York House Publishers, 1996. 
Bennett, Mabel R. ``. . . So Gallantly Streaming''. The Story of Old 
Glory; the History 
and Proper Use of Our Flag from 1776 to the Present. New York: Drake, 
1974. 
Bennett, Mabel R. Old Glory: the Story of Our Flag. Largo, FL: Snibbe 
Publications, 
1970. 
Blassingame, Wyatt. The Story of the United States Flag. Champaign, IL: 
Garrard, 
1969. 
Boy Scouts of America. Broad Stripes and Bright Stars. New York: 
American Heritage 
Press, 1970. 
Cooper, Grace Rogers. Thirteen-star Flags: Keys to Identification. 
Washington: 
Smithsonian Institution Press (Smithsonian Studies in History and T
echnology, No. 21), 1973. 
Crouthers, David. Flags of American History. Maplewood, NJ: Hammond, 
1978.
D'Alessandro, Robert. Glory. New York: Elephant Publishing, 1973.
Delaplaine, Edward S. John Philip Sousa and the National Anthem. 
Frederick, MD: Great Southern Press, 1983. 
Devine, Louise Lawrence. The Story of Our Flag. Chicago: Rand McNally, 
1968. 
Fradin, Dennis B. The Flag of the United States. Chicago: Childrens 
Press, 1988. 
Furlong, William Rea. So Proudly We Hail. Washington, DC: Smithsonian 
Institution Press, 1981. 
Historic American Flags. Worcester, MA: Aj. St. Onge, 1968. 
Kaddy, Bedford 0. Where and Why the American Flag Flies Twenty-four 
Hours a Day. New York: Vantage Press, 1977. 
47 

Key, Francis Scott. The Star Spangled Banner. Garden City, NY: 
Doubleday, 1973. 
Library of Congress. American Revolution Bicentennial Office. Twelve 
Flags of the 
American Revolution. Washington, DC: Library of Congress Exhibits 
Office, 1974. 
Lichtenwanger, William. The Music of the Star-Spangled Banner from 
Ludgate Hill to 
Capitol Hill. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1977. 
Manning, John R. The Story of Old Glory. Phoenix, AZ: Continuing 
Education 
Institute, 1971. 
Mastai, Bolesaw. The Stars and Stripes; The American Flag as Art and 
as History, from 
the Birth of the Republic to the Present. New York: Knopf, 1973. 
Mayer, Jane (Rothschild). Betsy Ross and the Flag. New York: Random 
House (Landmark Books; 26), 1952. 
Miller, Natalie. The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner. Chicago: 
Childrens Press, 1965. 
Morris, Robert. The Truth About the Betsy Ross Story. Beach Haven, 
NJ: Wynnehaven Publishing Co., 1982. 
Morris, Robert. The Truth About the American Flag. Beach Haven, NJ: 
Wynnehaven Publishing Co., 1976. 
Mountain, Lee Harrison. Uncle Sam and the Flag. Fayettville, GA: 
Oddo Publishers, 
1978. 
National Flag Foundation. The New Constellation: the Story of America 
as Told 
Through Its Flags, Which Are the Symbols of Its Civil, Economic, and 
Religious Freedom. Pittsburgh, PA: The Foundation, 1977. 
Parrish, Thomas. The American Flag. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973. 
Quaife, Milo Milton. The History of the United States Flag, From the 
Revolution to the Present, Including a Guide to Its Use and Display. 
New York: Harper, 1961. 
Rivers, Anderson Man. History of the American Flag. New York: Vantage 
Press, 
1967. 
Sedeen, Margaret. Star-Spangled Banner: Our Nation and Its Flag. 
Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 2001. 
Silkett, John T. Francis Scott Key and the History of the Star 
Spangled Banner. Washington, DC: Vintage America Publishing Co., 1978. 
Smith, Whitney. The Flag Book of the United States. New York: Morrow, 
1975. 
The Star-Spangled Banner - Glorious American Heritage; Handbook for 
School, Horne, and 
Community. Compiled by C.F. Nagro. Roselle, IL: Rosellian Fine Arts 
Society, 1975. 
Tonn, Maryjane Hooper. You're a Grand Old Flag. Milwaukee, WI: 
Ideals Publishing Co., 1972. 
United States Marine Corps. How to Respect and Display Our Flag. 
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1968. 
U.S. Capitol Historical Society. The Flag of the United States and 
State Flags, Seals & Mottoes. Washington, DC: The Society, 1989. 
Waller, Leslie. Our Flag. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960. 
Wannamaker, W.W. A Story of American Flags; From the Banners of 
Columbus to the First Flag on the Moon. Columbia, SC: State 
Printing Co., 1971. 
Weil, Ann. Betsy Ross, Girl of Old Philadelphia. New York: Aladdin 
Books, 1983. 
Werstein, Irving. The Stars and Stripes. New York: Golden Press, 1969. 
Williams, Earl P. What You Should Know About the American Flag. 
Gettysburg, PA: Thomas Publications, 1989. 
48 

 
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