US Flag Facts

So who did design the first American flag?  |  Would you give the stars a 'B-'?  |  The colors of the flag are special, too!

Why is the flag such a big deal?

Some people wonder why our US Flag is so special, and why people make such a big deal about the care and use of it. Although there are many reasons that our flag is special, perhaps the most important reason is that it is ours. That may sound silly, but before 1777 (when the first official US flag was created through a resolution of the Continental Congress) common people could not own (much less fly) a flag. Flags were only owned by dictators and monarchs that used them to show property ownership. Even today in some countries, there are different flags for the the rulers and the people. There are still some countries where citizens do not have the right to own or fly the national flag. We Americans are very lucky -- so fly your flag with pride!

Back to top
 

Do you know that the US Flag is alive?

Yes, it's true! The U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8(j) says "The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing."

Back to top
 

Betsy Ross designed and sewed the first flag, right?

Well....probably not. Betsy Ross and the legend of the first flag date back to 1970, almost a hundred years after the creation of the first flag, when her grandson claimed that his grandmother created the first American flag. He claimed that Betsy Ross was approached by George Washington in 1776, who had a rough sketch of the flag. He further claimed that she took this sketch, modified it, and sewed the first American flag. Whether or not this meeting ever took place, we do know that the first flag was sewed more than a year later. It is true that Betsy Ross was a superb flag maker, and she continues to be one of the most famous early Americans. One more thing...you know that first American flag with the thirteen stars in a circle? Well, that flag is officially called the 'Betsy Ross Flag'. How about that!

Back to top
 

So who did design the first American flag?

Most historians believe that it was Francis Hopkinson, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Back to top
 

Would you give the stars a 'B-'?

The stars on our flag represent the fifty states in our union. You may have noticed that the stars are aligned in a specific pattern, so that it looks nice and not all cluttered. Well, that didn't just happen by chance. In 1949, when Alaska and Hawaii became states, the star field had to be completely redesigned (before it was 48 stars...pretty easy to line up). And who do you think could tackle such a hard job? Believe it or not, it was a high school student from Ohio, named Robert Heft. He spent twelve and a half hours one weekend designing a new arrangement for a class project at school. He sewed the 50 stars in the pattern he created, and when he turned in his work, he received a B minus! His teacher even told him that if he could get Congress to accept his design, that she would raise his grade. Wow, she was tough! Well, Robert sent his flag to his Congressman and much to his surprise, it became the official flag of the United States! I wonder what she changed his grade to?

Back to top
 

The colors of the flag are special, too!

You may think that just any old red, white, and blue will do for Old Glory, but you would be wrong! It is true that the white and blue are common colors, but did you know that the red is a very specific shade of red? As a matter of fact, the red in our flag is only produced for our flag...not for anything else! Now that's special.

Back to top

Back to Flags