It is a symbol, or sign, that stands for an idea, a cause and a purpose.
It stands for the hard work and the sacrifice of millions of Americans who have helped to make the United States one of the greatest powers in the world.
No one knows who suggested the design of the Flag,
or who made the first Flag in this design.
The Flag makers of 1777, left no records to tell us why
they chose red, white, and blue for the colors of the Flag.
In 1782, the colors of the Flag were made part of the newly designed
Great Seal of the United States, and the Department of State said
the colors have these meanings:
- Red stands for hardiness and courage.
- White is the symbol of purity and innocence.
- Blue is the color of vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
There is a legend, sometimes quoted by writers,
that George Washington said of the colors in the Flag:
"We take the stars and the blue union from Heaven, the red from our Mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty."
The Flag has many popular names.
One of the most common of these is, The Stars and Stripes.
Francis Scott Key gave the Flag a poetic name, The Star - Spangled Banner,
in 1814 when he wrote the national anthem.
A young sea captain, William Driver, of Salem, Mass.,
gave the Flag the name Old Glory, in 1831.
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.
? 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
"America"
Courtesy of Midi Farms