The Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, the Red, White and Blue. A symbol of strength and courage. A mark of tolerance and diversity. The indication of democracy and freedom. However you see it and whatever you call it, the American flag is the image behind a nation. Reflecting the history of a people, the flag has a rich history of its own.

George Washington was a general in the Revolutionary War and while stationed in Philadelphia commissioned the making of a flag. The flag was to represent the country Washington and his troops were fighting to bring into reality. On the strength of her reputation as a seamstress, Washington went to visit recently widowed Elizabeth Ross in May of 1776.

Betsy Ross had decided to keep her upholstry business after the untimely death of her husband John. He had died serving the Pennsylvania militia during the war. Ross was happy to assist the General. Washington had been fighting under a flag he called the “Grand Union” which included a smaller version of the British Union Jack in the top left corner. Ross showed Washington that his idea for a six pointed star design would be better as a five pointed star design and the commission was officially hers. The story would not emerge of this encounter until many years later.

It took, according to Ross’ own account, just a few weeks to make the flag and it was ready in time for the celebration of the first Fourth of July. America was celebrating its own birth. The early government of the country made a flag resolution among one of its earliest priorities. On June 14, 1777, 13 white stars in a circle on a blue background next to a field of 13 red and white stripes became the official composition of the United States flag. It was a “new constellation” to represent the cosmic inception of a new nation.

Betsy Ross told the story of flag to only one person before her death and there are no official records to back up the details of the story. But in 1888, Ross’ house became a national treasure and still exists today. As the years passed and the country grew, more stars were added to the flag so that eventually there would be 50 stars to represent the 50 states.  The flag on display at the Smithsonian in Washington today is not the Betsy Ross flag. The 15 star flag is Old Glory and was sewn by Mary Pickersgill in 1813.

Mary Pickersgill received the flag commission from Fort Henry in Maryland. She was asked two make two flags one for bad weather and one for good weather. With the help of her daughters and servant, Pickersgill completed the two flags in seven weeks. The good weather flag was 30 feet by 42 feet and hung above the garrison of the fort. The flag flew high throughout the Battle of Baltimore that took place during the War of 1812.

The Battle of Baltimore was one of America’s greatest triumphs against the assuming British. Despite a 25 hour bomb and gun attack by the British naval fleet, the port of Baltimore held strong, forcing the British to retreat. Soldier and poet, Francis Scott Key observed the flag victoriously waving above the fort and became inspired. He went on to write the “Star Spangle Banner,” the words of America’s national anthem in 1814. A copy of that flag still hangs above Fort McHenry today just as American flags fly over every government building and historic site in the country.

Draping main streets on Memorial Day, Flag Day and Veterans Day, adorning the graves of the nation’s lost fighters and flying high above private homes year round, the American flag endures as the nation endures, remaining a testament to the world’s first democratic nation.

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