Flag History

1
Flag History

• Ordinary Requirement 2

2
Ordinary Requirement 2

• Give a brief history of the U.S. flag, and show
  when to fly it and how to hoist, lower, fold,
  display, and salute it.
• References
• "The History of Your Flag" on page 17.
• http//www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-ststr.html
• http//www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.htmlus-y-ens
  ign

3
Flag Terminology

• Canton any quarter of a flag, but commonly
  means the upper left (hoist) quarter, such as the
  field of stars in the flag of the United States.
• Fly the half or edge of a flag furthest away
  from the flagpole. This term also sometimes
  refers to the horizontal length of a flag.
• Hoist the half or edge of a flag nearest to the
  flagpole. This term also sometimes refers to the
  vertical width of a flag.
• Length the span of a flag along the side at
  right angles to the flagpole.
• Width the span of a flag down the side parallel
  to the flagpole.

4
Flag Terminology

• Badge a coat of arms or simple heraldic symbol,
  such as a shield.
• Charge a figure or symbol appearing in the
  field of a flag.
• Emblem a device often used as a charge on a
  flag.
• It may be heraldic in origin or modern, for
  example the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag.
• Field the background of a flag the color
  behind the charges.
• Fimbriation a narrow edging or border, often in
  white or gold, on a flag to separate two other
  colors.

5
United States Flag

• The flag consists of a field of 13 equal
  horizontal stripes of red alternating with white,
  with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50
  small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine
  offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating
  with rows of five stars.
• The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S.
  states and the 13 stripes represent the original
  Thirteen Colonies.
• Nicknames for the flag include "Stars and
  Stripes" and "Old Glory"

6
Thirteen Star Flag (1777-1795)

• After the Declaration of Independence was signed
  on 4 July 1776, one flag was needed to replace
  all the assortment of flags used during the
  Revolutionary War.
• The Continental Congress adopted the following
  resolution on 14 June 1777
• "RESOLVED, that the flag of the 13 United States
  be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white
  That the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue
  field, representing a new constellation."
• Because the resolution was not specific there
  were a number of variations of the 13 star flag.
• Legend has it that Betsy Ross sewed the first
  flag from a design by George Washington
• This legend has not been substantiated.

7
Thirteen Star Flag (1777-1795)

• The first documented U.S. flag was the staggered
  star pattern shown.
• A strong case for the designer of the first flag
  is Francis Hopkinson. A delegate from New Jersey
  to the Continental Congress and a signer of the
  Declaration of Independence.
• He submitted a bill to Congress for "currency
  designs, design for the great seal of the U.S., a
  treasury seal, a design for the flag ..."

8
Other Thirteen Star Flags
9
Fifteen Star Flag (1795-1818)

• In 1795, two stars were added bringing the total
  number of stars to 15
• Two stripes were added to make a total of 15
  stripes. This was the only U.S. flag to have
  fifteen stripes.
• The 15 star flag on the left flew over Fort
  McHenry during the War of 1812 and inspired the
  writing of the National Anthem, The Star Spangled
  Banner.

10
Twenty Star Flag (1818-1819)

• In 1818, five stars were added bringing the total
  number of stars to 20
• In 1818, Congress proclaimed that one star for
  each new state would be added on the 4th of July
  following the state's admission to the union and
  there would be thirteen stripes representing the
  thirteen original colonies.

11
Old Glory

• The famous "Old Glory" of Capt. William Driver
  was a 20-star flag, made by his daughters and
  preserved by the captain after he retired to
  Nashville, Tennessee.
• In 1860, the Captain's wife and daughter took the
  flag apart, cut off the raveled and frayed seams,
  replaced the old stars and added new ones to make
  34 total and an anchor embroidered in the lower
  right corner of the canton.
• The anchor was to commemorate Capt. Driver's sea
  service.

12
Adding Stars and States

• 1795, 14th and 15th stars representing Kentucky
  and Vermont
• 1818, 16th to 20th stars representing Indiana,
  Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee
• 1819, 21st star representing Illinois
• 1820, 22nd and 23rd stars representing Alabama
  and Maine
• 1822, 24th star representing Missouri
• 1836, 25th star representing Arkansas
• 1837, 26th star representing Michigan.
• 1845, 27th star representing Florida
• 1846, 28th star representing Texas
• 1847, 29th star representing Iowa
• 1848, 30th star representing Wisconsin
• 1851, 31st star representing California
• 1858, 32nd star representing Minnesota

• 1859, 33rd star representing Oregon
• 1861, 34th star representing Kansas
• 1863, 35th star representing West Virginia
• 1865, 36th star representing Nevada
• 1867, 37th star representing Nebraska
• 1877, 38th star representing Colorado
• 1890, 39th to 43rd stars representing Idaho,
  Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and
  Washington
• 1891, 44th star representing Wyoming
• 1896, 45th star representing Utah
• 1908, 46th star representing Oklahoma
• 1912, 47th and 48th stars representing Arizona
  and New Mexico
• 1959, 49th star representing Alaska
• 1960, 50th star representing Hawaii

13
Great Star Patterns

• From the 1780's until about the Civil War, Great
  Star Flags -- with the stars arranged so they
  make up one big star -- were popular,
  particularly on ships.

14
Other Unusual US Flag Designs
15
United States Ensign

• The US Flag, is properly referred to on a vessel
  as the US or National Ensign.
• The US ensign is proper for all US yachts,
  without reservation.
• All boats, when at anchor, fly it from the stern
  staff, if so equipped, only while occupied.
• It is flown from the stern staff of powerboats
  underway on inland waters.
• If the powerboat has a mast and gaff, the proper
  display is at the gaff.
• On a sportsfisherman, where a stern staff would
  be in the way of the action, the practice is to
  fly the ensign from a halyard rigged just behind
  the tuna tower.

16
Displaying the National Ensign

• On Marconi-rigged sailboats under sail alone, the
  ensign is flown from the leech of the aftermost
  sail, approximately 2/3 the length of the leech
  above the clew.
• In the same position it would occupy if the boat
  were gaff-rigged, and on gaff-rigged sailboats it
  is proper to fly the ensign from the peak of the
  aftermost gaff.
• The modern high-aspect-ratio rig, with the boom
  end well inboard of the stern, has made it is
  possible to fly the ensign from the stern staff
  of a sailboat underway.
• Under power alone, or at anchor or made fast, the
  ensign should be flown from the stern staff of
  all sailboats.
• However, the ensign should never be displayed
  while the boat is racing.

17
Size of Flags

• The national ensign flown at a flag staff at the
  stern of your boat should be one inch on the fly
  for each foot of overall length of the boat.
• All other flags such as club burgees, officer
  flags, and private signals for use on sailboats
  should be approximately 1/2 inch on the fly for
  each foot above the waterline of the tallest mast
  on the boat.
• That is, if the tope of the mast is 30 feet above
  the waterline, these other flags should be 15
  inches on the fly.)
• On powerboats, these flags should be 5/8 inch on
  the fly for each foot of overall length. The
  shape and proportions of pennants and burgees
  will be prescribed by the organization to which
  they relate.

18
Making Colors

• Colors are made each morning at 0800
• At yacht club and similar organization docks or
  anchorages, this may be signaled by a morning
  gun.
• The national ensign or yacht ensign is hoisted at
  the stern (or set in place on its staff).
• This is followed, as applicable, by a foreign
  ensign (courtesy flag), a club or squadron
  burgee, organizational flags, an officer flag or
  private signal and then by any other signals not
  already flying, such as a guest flag.
• At sunset, colors not properly flown on a
  day-and-night basis should be retired in reverse
  sequence, the ensign at the stern always being
  the last to be secured.
• If you fly the yacht ensign (or other authorized
  ensign) in lieu of the U.S. ensign, raise and
  lower it as if it were the U.S. national ensign.

19
Half-Staffing Flags

• Only the President of the United States or the
  governor of a state may direct that all national
  ensigns be flown at half-staff.
• The length of time flown at half-staff is
  determined by the deceased person's position and
  the directive of the president or governor.
• This period normally lasts from 1 or 2 days to as
  many as 30 days.
• On Memorial day, the national ensign is properly
  flown at half-staff until 1200.

20
Half-Staffing Flags

• When you fly your national ensign at half-mast,
  hoist it smartly as high as you can (sometimes
  referred to as "chock-a-blocked") or
  "two-blocked").
• Then lower it ceremoniously to the half-mast
  position.
• When you are taking it down at the end of the
  day, smartly two-block it again and then lower it
  ceremoniously from there.
• When the ensign is at half-mast, all other flags
  remain two-blocked.

21
Folding the flag

• To fold the flag correctly, bring the striped
  half up over the blue field.
• Then fold it in half again.
• Bring the lower striped corner to the upper edge,
  forming a triangle.
• Then fold the upper point in to form another
  triangle. Continue until the entire length of the
  flag is folded.
• When you get near the endnothing but the blue
  field showingtuck the last bit into the other
  folds to secure it.
• The final folded flag resembles a cocked hat with
  only the white stars on a blue field showing.

22
U.S. Flag Trivia

• Who cut the American flag into pieces and was
  honored for doing it?  
• Is it ever appropriate to fly the flag upside
  down?
• What is done with worn or outdated flags?
• Francis Scott Key wrote the words to "The
  Star-Spangled Banner" on the back on an envelope.
  What is the source of the music for it?
• The American flag first flew over a foreign fort
  in what country?
• A vexillologist is an expert in what?
• "Shipwreck" Kelly (1885-1952) was famous for
  sitting for long periods of time. What did he
  have to do with flags?