| If you are an American and grew up | | | | hardiness and valor |
| attending school in the United States, | | | | * The Field - Blue for vigilance, |
| you were taught the lesson of how Betsy | | | | perseverance and justice |
| Ross sewed together the first American | | | | * The Star - "...a symbol of the |
| flag in 1776. But how many recall | | | | heavens and the divine goal to which man |
| exactly what the stripes, the stars and | | | | has aspired from time immemorial; the |
| the colors represent? | | | | stripe is symbolic of the rays of light |
| Believe it or not, the colors red, | | | | emanating from the sun." |
| white, and blue didn't have any | | | | In 1777, the number of stripes was |
| significance when the flag was adopted | | | | congressionally mandated to stand at |
| in 1777. The Continental Congress | | | | thirteen to represent the original |
| actually passed a resolution on July 4, | | | | thirteen colonies, however, designs |
| 1776 which authorized a committee to | | | | throughout America still varied greatly. |
| come up with a seal for the United | | | | A hero of the War of 1812 and Naval |
| States of America. That committee was | | | | Officer named Samuel Chester Reid got |
| instructed to create a design that | | | | together with New York Congressman Peter |
| reflected the Founding Fathers' beliefs | | | | H. Wendover in 1818 and initiated a bill |
| of values and independence for the new | | | | to establish uniformity for the design |
| Nation. It wasn't until the seal was | | | | of the American flag. Samuel Reid was |
| completed and approved on June 20, 1782 | | | | the person who actually suggested that |
| that the national colors and symbols on | | | | stars be added as new states were |
| the American flag had any defined | | | | admitted into the Union. That bill was |
| meaning. The explanation for the flag's | | | | passed on April 4, 1818. |
| design, taken from a book written by the | | | | Over the years, there have been |
| House of Representatives during that | | | | twenty-seven versions of the flag. The |
| time, is as follows: | | | | current design dates to July 4, 1960, |
| * The Stripes - White to denote purity | | | | when Hawaii became the United States of |
| and innocence - Red to represent | | | | America's 50th state. |