Home | Politics | History

The unforgettable history of the American Flag.

By: Flag Daddy


Read More About History

It is believed that the primary American flag bearing 13 crimson and white stripes was a Union flag offered to the Philadelphia Light Horse by Captain Abraham Markoe, a Dane, most likely early in 1775. A "Union flag" is mentioned as having been displayed at a gathering of Whigs at Savannah in June, 1775, probably thirteen stripes. The earliest naval flags exhibited 13 alternate crimson and white stripes, some with a pine-tree upon them, and others with a rattlesnake stretched across the sector of stripes, and beneath it the phrases, either imploringly or as a warning, "Do not tread on me." The brand new Union flag raised at Cambridge, Jan. 1, 1776, was composed of thirteen alternate crimson and white stripes, with the English union in a single corner.
Lastly, the necessity of a nationwide flag was felt, especially for the marine service, and the Continental Congress adopted the next decision, June 14, 1777: "Resolved, that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate crimson and white; that the union be 13 stars, white, on a blue area, representing a new constellation." There was a delay in displaying this flag. The resolution was not officially promulgated over the signature of the secretary of the Congress till September three, though it was beforehand printed in the newspapers. This was more than a yr after the colonies had been declared free and independent. Probably the primary show of the nationwide flag at a navy publish was at Fort Schuyler, on the location of the current city of Rome, New York. The fort was besieged early in August, 1777. The garrison had no flag, in order that they made one based on the prescription of Congress by slicing up sheets to form the white stripes, bits of scarlet material for the crimson stripes, and the blue floor for the celebrities was composed of parts of a fabric cloak belonging to Captain Abraham Swartwout, of Dutchess county, New York This flag was unfurled over the fort on August three, 1777.

Paul Jones was appointed to the Ranger on June 14, 1777, and he claimed that he was the primary to display the celebs and stripes on a naval vessel. The Ranger sailed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on November 1, 1777. It is probable that the nationwide flag was first unfurled in battle on the banks of the Brandywine, September 11, 1777, the primary battle after its adoption.

It first appeared over a foreign stronghold, June 28, 1778, when Captain Rathbone, of the American sloop-of-conflict Providence, along with his crew and some escaped prisoners, captured Fort Nassau, New Providence, Bahama Islands. The captors had been menaced by the individuals, when the celebrities and stripes were nailed to the flagstaff in defiance. John Singleton Copley, the American-born painter, in London, claimed to be the primary to display the celebrities and stripes in Nice Britain. On the day when George III. acknowledged the independence of the United States, December 5, 1782, he painted the flag of the United States within the background of a portrait of Elkanah Watson. To Captain Mooers, of the whaling-ship Bedford, of Nantucket, is likely due the respect of first displaying the nationwide flag in a port of Great Britain. He arrived within the Downs, with it flying at the fore, February 3, 1783. That flag was first carried to the East Indian seas in the Enterprise (an Albany-constructed vessel), Captain Stewart Dean, in 1785.

When Vermont and Kentucky have been added to the union of States the flag was altered. By an act of Congress (January thirteen, 1794) the variety of the stripes and stars within the flag was increased from 13 to fifteen. The act went into impact May 1, 1795. From that time till 1818, when there have been twenty States, the number of the stars and stripes remained the same. A committee appointed to revise the standard invited Captain Samuel C. Reid, the brave defender of the privateer Armstrong, to plot a brand new flag. He retained the original 13 stripes, however added a star for each State. That has been the gadget of the flag of the United States ever since. In 1901 the sphere of the flag contained forty-5 stars. Ultimately we ended up with the current Old Glory with 50 stars.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Eddie Hill (Uncle Flag) is a self proclaimed patriot Buy an American Flag

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive History Articles Via RSS!

counter easy hit

Powered by Article Dashboard