Flag Day

On a June day in 1776, George Washington paid a visit to his friend from church, Betsy Ross, an upholster and Gold Star Widow. With American independence coming, the flag he had been using, featuring 13 stripes and the British Union Jack in the corner now seemed obsolete. As the story goes, Betsy made the General a flag keeping the 13 stripes and adding a circle of white stars on a union of blue.

A year later, on 14 June 1777, Congress passed the 1st Flag resolution stating: “That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

At first, American Flags were primarily used for military purposes. During the War of 1812 and 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1826, private citizens began flying flags as a show of patriotism. The invention of the sewing machine in 1846 and the opening of Annin Flagmakers the following year made Flags more accessible to the American public.  1.5 million Flags were purchased between 1861 and 1864.

Concerned that many low income and rural schools did not have Flags in the early 1890’s, teacher James Upton encouraged students to save pennies to buy Flags for their schools. He worked with his friend, Baptist minister Francis Bellamy, to write a short pledge to help students think about their Flag and their country. The Pledge was adopted by Congress in 1923 and is still said by students in 45 states.

Several towns claim to have held the first Flag Day observances. Hartford, Connecticut set aside 14 June 1861 as a day to “honor the adoption of the Flag” and “prayer for preservation of the union”.

Bernard J. Cigrand, a teacher, who became a dentist and served during WWI, is called the “Father of Flag Day”. He made over 2000 speeches promoting Flag day. In 1894, he and Civil War veteran LeRoy Van Horn founded the American Flag Day Association and organized a gathering of 300,000 students in Chicago. In 1916, President Willison proclaimed 14 June as Flag Day. The day has never become a federal holiday and is a state holiday in only Pennsylvania, but it is a really good day to display the Flag.