The Evolution of American Patriotism: A Look at Historic Flags

The flag of the United States is one of the most recognizable national flags around the world. It’s often referred to as the “stars and stripes” and “red, white, and blue” in honor of the flag’s design. But where did this unique design come from in the first place? Discover the extensive history and origin of the US flag, spanning over two and a half centuries from the first notions of American patriotism.

Sons of Liberty Flag

When settlers first started arriving in North America from Britain, they considered themselves loyal subjects of the British Crown. However, tensions rose over the years as the colonies expanded to the Original Thirteen, and their citizens began to form a distinct national identity.

Several acts by the British government, such as the Stamp Act of 1765, drove American patriots to civil disobedience. Many of these patriots were at the time called the “Sons of Liberty”, and they soon started meeting below tall trees and poles.

In 1765, delegates from nine of the Thirteen Colonies arrived in New York to petition the British government. After the meeting, the Sons of Liberty of Boston created the ‘Rebellious Stripes’ flag, which was composed of nine red and white vertical stripes. This flag was often flown from Boston’s Liberty Tree to signal gatherings.

Over the next decade, the flag was updated to have thirteen red and white horizontal stripes instead. This version would be used as the United States naval jack during the Revolutionary War and formed the basis of the red and white stripes on the modern American flag.

Grand Union Flag

During the first year of the Revolutionary War, Congress decided to adopt a new flag to represent the United Colonies. This design, originally called the Continental Union flag, used the same thirteen red and white stripes as its predecessor. However, the updated version now featured a canton, which depicted the British King’s Color flag.

The Grand Union flag was first flown in Philadelphia on December 3, 1775, as the ensign for the ship Alfred. It was hoisted during the commissioning ceremony for the ship, celebrating the formation of the Continental Navy.

Historians suggest that the addition of the King’s flag represented loyalty to the monarchy. The rebellious Americans were initially fighting for more rights while remaining a British colony. Later in the war, the move for complete national independence arose, along with the design of a new national flag.

Betsy Ross Flag

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act. Drawing on the design of the Grand Union flag, the new national flag was defined as “thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union is thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

However, this description of the national flag was vague, and many different designs began to circulate. Most notably, the placement of the stars within the canton was not specified, which led to a variety of patterns. One of the most famous is the Betsy Rossflag, which arranged the stars into a circle.

As patriotic spirits rose in the Thirteen Colonies, the goal of gaining better colonial rights was replaced with the fight for independence from the British Empire. Likewise, the King’s Colors flag, which had previously been part of the American flag’s design, was swapped for a dark blue canton, with 13 stars representing the colonies.

According to legend, the variant that arranged the stars into a circle was created by Betsy Ross, a flagmaker and upholsterer in Philadelphia. Family tradition claims that George Washington visited Ross in 1776 and asked her to sew the first national American flag. During the visit, Ross convinced Washington to change the 6-pointed stars he had originally envisioned to 5-pointed ones.

Star Spangled Banner Flag

In 1794, a new Flag Act was passed in honor of Vermont and Kentucky's joining the Union in the previous few years. This design now included 15 stars and stripes to represent all members of the United States. However, just like the previous Flag Act, details such as the placement of the stars on the 15-star flag was not specified, leading to many variants.

The most famous version of the 15 stars and stripes flag was the Star-Spangled Banner, which is now immortalized in the American national anthem. This specific design was used as the garrison flag at Fort McHenry when British forces attacked on September 13, 1814, during the War of 1812.

Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and poet, saw the American flag at Fort McHenry flag flying the day after the battle, signaling that it remained in American hands. He wrote the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry”, inspired by the sight. The text would later become the lyrics for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Evolution of Old Glory Flags

After introducing the 15-star flag, Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, and Mississippi joined the Union, but no changes were made to the flag’s design. The tradition of adding a new star for each new state was not adopted until 1818, when Congress passed a new Flag Act.

The act also specified that the number of stripes would be reduced from 15 to 13 to represent the original Thirteen Colonies. Additionally, each new design would not become the official national flag until the following July 4th. In honor of the five new states, the American flag was updated to have 20 stars.

Since then, the American flag has undergone 23 iterations, not counting the current 50-star version. Since the flag was updated after each statehood grant, the design usually only increased by one star at a time. One notable exception is the 43-star flag, which replaced the previous 38 stars following the successive admissions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, and Idaho over an eight-month timespan.

The 48-star flag, famous for its presence in the photograph “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima,” was the first design that had a specified arrangement of the stars in the canton. Until this act was passed in 1912, many different versions of historical American flags could be seen nationwide.

The Modern American Flag

The current 50-star design was adopted in 1960 following the admission of Alaska and Hawaii to the Union. This version has had the longest lifespan yet, at 64 years in use, compared to the 48-star flag’s 47-year run.

The American flag is now an iconic image worldwide and a proud symbol of patriotism for American citizens. As a living object, the US flag evolves alongside the changes of the United States itself. What design do you think will come next?