THE AMERICAN FLAG
by ALLISON ELDREDGE
June 14th is Flag Day in America. July 4th is Independence Day. These two National Holidays are meant to celebrate America, but they aren’t the same type of celebration. Flag Day. I have never ever celebrated Flag Day. It has always just been another day on the calendar. I’m not really sure I understood the importance of Flag Day until I started reading about the history of the flag. Independence Day. This day is commonly celebrated with cookouts and fireworks and watermelon. Yum! During my research, I learned that flags are some of the oldest symbols in the world. Flags have been used to announce what allegiance a ship or a knight was under. Flags have been used to identify the need of rescue or surrender. Throughout the world, each country has a flag; and in America, each state has a flag and even some cities have their own flag. Our America Flag has had a very unique road to get to the flag that we all see flying on flag poles around the OKLA HOMA CORRID OR M AGAZI NE / J U LY 2 0 2 2 6
county. And it all started with a little revolution. In the 1760s, the American colonies decided that they didn’t want to be under British rule any longer. They fought the Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783. In 1776, America declared their Independence. On June 14, 1777 in Philadelphia, it was decided that America would have her own flag and it would include 13 red and white stripes (one stripe for each state) and 13 white stars (again, one for each state) on blue cannon (the background for the stars). Betsy Ross is credited with sewing the First American Flag. During the War of 1812, our flag started being called “The Star Spangled Banner” based on a poem penned by Frances Scott Key. He wrote the poem (which would become our national anthem) after watching the Battle at Fort McHenry. At that time in history there were 15 stripes and 15 stars because two states had been added in the years following 1777.
