“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.”
109th Congress, 2nd Session S.Doc. 109-18

OUR FLAG

JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING

UNITED STATES CONGRESS

Printed by authority of Senate Concurrent Resolution 108, 109th Congress

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2007

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC area (202) 512-1800

Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402-0001

ISBN 978-0-16-076598-8

✰
PRINTED UNDER THE DIRECTION

OF THE

JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING

TRENT LOTT, Senator from Mississippi,

 Chairman

THAD COCHRAN, Senator from Mississippi

SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Senator from Georgia

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Senator from Hawaii

MARK DAYTON, Senator from Minnesota

VERNON J. EHLERS, Representative from 

Michigan, Vice Chairman

JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, Representative from 

 California

THOMAS M. REYNOLDS, Representative from 

 New York

JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Representative 

 from California, Ranking Minority Member

ROBERT A. BRADY, Represntative from 

 Pennsylvania

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 108

(Submitted by Senator Lott)

UNITED STATES SENATE

109th Congress, 2nd Session

July 18, 2006

 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),

SEC. 2. OUR FLAG

 (a) IN GENERAL—The 2006 revised edition of the publication entitled 

“Our Flag” shall be printed as a Senate document under the direction of 

the Joint Committee on Printing.

 (b) ADDITIONAL COPIES—In addition to the usual number, there shall 

be printed the lesser of—

 (1) 550,000 copies of the document, of which 440,000 copies 

shall be for the use of the House of Representatives, 100,000 copies shall 

be for the use of the Senate, and 10,000 copies shall be for the use of the 

Joint Committee on Printing; or

 (2) such number of copies of the document as does not exceed 

a total production and printing cost of $215,000 with distribution to be 

allocated in the same proportion as described in paragraph (1), except 

that in no case shall the number of copies be less than 1 for each Member 

of Congress.
Introduction

During the night of September 13, 1814, the British fleet bombarded Fort McHenry in the harbor at Baltimore, Maryland. 

Francis Scott Key, a 34-year-old lawyer-poet, watched the 

attack from the deck of a British prisoner-exchange ship. He had gone 

to seek the release of a friend, but they were refused permission to go 

ashore until after the attack had been made. As the battle ceased on the 

following morning, Key turned his telescope to the fort and saw that the 

American flag was still waving. The sight so inspired him that he pulled a 

letter from his pocket and began to write the poem, which eventually was 

adopted as the national anthem of the United States—“The Star-Spangled 

Banner.” Key was returned to Baltimore and later that day took a room at 

a Baltimore tavern where he completed the poem. 

Years later, Key told a hometown audience in Frederick, Maryland:

“I saw the flag of my country waving over a city—the 

strength and pride of my native State—a city devoted to plunder 

and desolation by its assailants. I witnessed the preparation for 

its assaults. I saw the array of its enemies as they advanced to 

the attack. I heard the sound of battle; the noise of the conflict 

fell upon my listening ear, and told me that ‘the brave and the 

free’ had met the invaders.”

The Joint Committee on Printing is pleased to present the latest 

edition of Our Flag. This Congressional publication briefly describes the 

history of the flag, and sets forth the practices and observances appropriate to its display. The Committee hopes that this document will be 

both useful and informative to its audience.
Acknowledgement

The Joint Committee on Printing extends thanks and appreciation 

to the individuals and organizations that contributed their knowledge to 

this booklet.

“Let the praise, then, if any be due, be given, not 

to me, who only did what I could not help doing, 

not to the writer, but to the inspirers of the song!”

—Francis Scott Key
The History of the Stars and Stripes 

T he Stars and Stripes originated as a result of a resolution adopted by the Marine Committee of the Second 

Continental Congress at Philadelphia on June 14, 1777. 

The resolution read:

“Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen 

stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen 

stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation.”

The resolution gave no instruction as to how many points the stars 

should have, nor how the stars should be arranged on the blue union. 

Consequently, some flags had stars scattered on the blue field without 

any specific design, some arranged the stars in rows, and some in a 

circle. The first Navy Stars and Stripes had the stars arranged in staggered 

formation in alternate rows of threes and twos on a blue field. Other Stars 

and Stripes flags had stars arranged in alternate rows of four, five and four. 

Some stars had six points while others had eight.

Strong evidence indicates that Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey, a 

signer of the Declaration of Independence, was responsible for the stars in 

the U.S. flag. At the time that the flag resolution was adopted, Hopkinson 

was the Chairman of the Continental Navy Board’s Middle Department. 

Hopkinson also helped design other devices for the Government including the Great Seal of the United States. For his services, Hopkinson 

submitted a letter to the Continental Admiralty Board asking “whether 

a Quarter Cask of the public Wine will not be a proper & reasonable 

Reward for these Labours of Fancy and a suitable Encouragement to 

future Exertions of a like Nature.” His request was turned down since the 

Congress regarded him as a public servant. 

1
An Early Stars and Stripes

During the Revolutionary War, several patriots made flags 

for our new Nation. Among them were Cornelia Bridges, 

Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross, and Rebecca Young, all of Pennsylvania, 

and John Shaw of Annapolis, Maryland. Although Betsy Ross, the best 

known of these persons, made flags for 50 years, there is no proof that 

she made the first Stars and Stripes. It is known that she made flags for 

the Pennsylvania State Navy in 1777. The flag popularly known as the 

“Betsy Ross flag,” which arranged the stars in a circle, did not appear 

until the early 1790’s.

The claims of Betsy Ross were first brought to the attention of the 

public in 1870 by one of her grandsons, William J. Canby. In a paper he 

read before the meeting of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Canby 

stated:

“It is not tradition, it is report from the lips of the principal participator 

in the transaction, directly told not to one or two, but a dozen or more 

living witnesses, of which I myself am one, though but a little boy when 

I heard it.... Colonel Ross with Robert Morris and General Washington, 

called on Mrs. Ross and told her they were a committee of Congress, 

and wanted her to make a flag from the drawing, a rough one, which, 

upon her suggestions, was redrawn by General Washington in pencil in 

her back parlor. This was prior to the Declaration of Independence. I fix 

the date to be during Washington’s visit to Congress from New York in 

June, 1776 when he came to confer upon the affairs of the Army, the flag 

being, no doubt, one of these affairs.”

2
The Grand Union Flag

T he first flag of the colonists to have any resemblance to 

the present Stars and Stripes was the Grand Union Flag, 

sometimes referred to as the Congress Colors, the First Navy 

Ensign, and the Cambridge Flag. Its design consisted of 13 stripes, alternately red and white, representing the Thirteen Colonies, with a blue 

field in the upper left-hand corner bearing the red cross of St. George of 

England with the white cross of St. Andrew of Scotland. As the flag of 

the revolution it was used on many occasions. It was first flown by the 

ships of the Colonial Fleet on the Delaware River. On December 3, 1775, 

it was raised aboard Captain Esek Hopkin’s flag-ship Alfred by John Paul 

Jones, then a Navy lieutenant. Later the flag was raised on the liberty 

pole at Prospect Hill, which was near George Washington’s headquarters 

in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was our unofficial national flag on July 

4, 1776, Independence Day; and it remained the unofficial national 

flag and ensign of the Navy until June 14, 1777, when the Continental 

Congress authorized the Stars and Stripes.

Interestingly, the Grand Union Flag also was the standard of the 

British East India Company. It was only by degrees that the Union Flag of 

Great Britain was discarded. The final breach between the Colonies and 

Great Britain brought about the removal of the British Union from the 

canton of our striped flag and the substitution of stars on a blue field.

3
4

Fifteen Stars and Stripes

W hen two new States were admitted to the Union (Kentucky 

and Vermont), a resolution was adopted in January of 1794, 

expanding the flag to 15 stars and 15 stripes. This flag was 

the official flag of our country from 1795 to 1818, and was prominent 

in many historic events. It inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The StarSpangled Banner” during the bombardment of Fort McHenry; it was the 

first flag to be flown over a fortress of the Old World when American 

Marine and Naval forces raised it above the pirate stronghold in Tripoli 

on April 27, 1805; it was the ensign of American forces in the Battle of 

Lake Erie in September of 1813; and it was flown by General Jackson in 

New Orleans in January of 1815.

However, realizing that the flag would become unwieldy with a 

stripe for each new State, Capt. Samuel C. Reid, USN, suggested to 

Congress that the stripes remain 13 in number to represent the Thirteen 

Colonies and that a star be added to the blue field for each new State 

coming into the Union. Accordingly, on April 4, 1818, President Monroe 

accepted a bill requiring that the flag of the United States have a union 

of 20 stars, white on a blue field, and that upon admission of each new 

State into the Union one star be added to the union of the flag on the 

fourth of July following its date of admission. The 13 alternating red and 

white stripes would remain unchanged. This act succeeded in prescribing 

the basic design of the flag, while assuring that the growth of the Nation 

would be properly symbolized.

Eventually, the growth of the country resulted in a flag with 48 stars 

upon the admission of Arizona and New Mexico in 1912. Alaska added 

a 49th in 1959, and Hawaii a 50th star in 1960. With the 50-star flag
came a new design and arrangement of the stars in the union, a requirement met by President Eisenhower in Executive Order No. 10834, issued 

August 21, 1959. To conform with this, a national banner with 50 stars 

became the official flag of the United States. The flag was raised for the 

first time at 12:01 a.m. on July 4, 1960, at the Fort McHenry National 

Monument in Baltimore, Maryland.

Traditionally a symbol of liberty, the American flag has carried the message of freedom to many parts of the world. Sometimes the same flag that 

was flying at a crucial moment in our history has been flown again in another place to symbolize continuity in our struggles for the cause of liberty.

One of the most memorable is the flag that flew over the Capitol in 

Washington on December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. This 

same flag was raised again on December 8 when war was declared on 

Japan, and three days later at the time of the declaration of war against 

Germany and Italy. President Roosevelt called it the “flag of liberation” 

and carried it with him to the Casablanca Conference and on other historic occasions. It flew from the mast of the U.S.S. Missouri during the 

formal Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945.

Another historic flag is the one that flew over Pearl Harbor on 

December 7, 1941. It also was present at the United Nations Charter 

meeting in San Francisco, California, and was used at the Big Three 

Conference at Potsdam, Germany. This same flag flew over the White 

House on August 14, 1945, when the Japanese accepted surrender terms.

5

“Old Ironsides” in the War of 1812. Courtesy U.S. Naval Academy Museum
Following the War of 1812, a great wave of nationalistic spirit spread 

throughout the country; the infant Republic had successfully defied the 

might of an empire. As this spirit spread, the Stars and Stripes became a 

symbol of sovereignty. The homage paid that banner is best expressed by 

what the gifted men of later generations wrote concerning it.

The writer Henry Ward Beecher said:

“A thoughtful mind when it sees a nation’s flag, sees not 

the flag, but the nation itself. And whatever may be its symbols, 

its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag, the government, the 

principles, the truths, the history that belongs to the nation that 

sets it forth. The American flag has been a symbol of Liberty and 

men rejoiced in it. 

“The stars upon it were like the bright morning stars of God, 

and the stripes upon it were beams of morning light. As at early 

dawn the stars shine forth even while it grows light, and then as 

the sun advances that light breaks into banks and streaming lines 

of color, the glowing red and intense white striving together, and 

ribbing the horizon with bars effulgent, so, on the American flag, 

stars and beams of many-colored light shine out together ....”

In a 1917 Flag Day message, President Wilson said:

“This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the 

emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a 

nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from 

generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in 

peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us—speaks to 

us of the past, of the men and women who went before us, and 

of the records they wrote upon it.

“We celebrate the day of its birth; and from its birth until now 

it has witnessed a great history, has floated on high the symbol of 

great events, of a great plan of life worked out by a great people....

“Woe be to the man or group of men that seeks to stand in 

our way in this day of high resolution when every principle we 

hold dearest is to be vindicated and made secure for the salvation 

of the nation. We are ready to plead at the bar of history, and our 

flag shall wear a new luster. Once more we shall make good with 

our lives and fortunes the great faith to which we were born, and 

a new glory shall shine in the face of our people.”

6
Early American Flags

A rcheological digs in northern India, dating around 3,500 B.C., 

have uncovered a seal, used to sign documents. The seal shows 

a procession of seven men carrying square standards, held 

aloft on poles like modern flags. While these ancient flags were rigid, like 

boards, and not made of cloth as modern flags are, they provided ample 

testimony that heraldry and the displaying of banners dated to the earliest 

civilizations.

In American history, the Vikings carried a flag which bore a black 

raven on a field of white. In 1492 Columbus sailed to our shores with his 

three small ships displaying the Spanish flag bearing two red lions on two 

white fields and two yellow castles on two red fields. The Dutch brought 

their own striped flags when they settled in New Amsterdam, which we 

now call New York, and pioneers from other nations also brought along 

the standards of their countries when they settled on our shores.

It is only natural, therefore, that America should create colonial flags 

as soon as the first colonists settled. Given the disparate array of settlers, 

it is not surprising that a wide variety of flags was created.

The first flags adopted by our colonial forebears were symbolic of 

their struggles with the wilderness of the new land. Beavers, pine trees, 

rattlesnakes, anchors and various other insignia were affixed to different 

banners with mottoes such as “Hope,” “Liberty,” “Appeal to Heaven,” or 

“Don’t Tread on Me.”

In the early days of the Revolution, there were colonial and regimental flags by the score. The Boston Liberty flag, consisting of nine alternate 

red and white horizontal stripes, flew over the Liberty Tree, a fine old elm 

in Hanover Square in Boston, where the Sons of Liberty met. Still another 

was a white flag with a green pine tree and the inscription, “An Appeal 

to Heaven.” This particular flag became familiar on the seas as the ensign 

of the cruisers commissioned by General Washington, and was noted by 

many English newspapers of the time.

Flags with a rattlesnake theme also gained increasing prestige with 

colonists. The slogan “Don’t Tread on Me” almost invariably appeared 

on rattlesnake flags. A flag of this type was the standard of the South 

Carolina Navy. Another, the Gadsden flag, consisted of a yellow field 

with a rattlesnake in a spiral coil, poised to strike, in the center. Below the 

snake was the motto, “Don’t Tread on Me.” Similar was the Culpepper flag, 

banner of the Minutemen of Culpepper (now spelled Culpeper) County, 

Virginia. It consisted of a white field with a rattlesnake in a spiral coil in the 

center. Above the rattlesnake was the legend “The Culpepper Minute Men” 

and below, the motto, “Liberty or Death” as well as “Don’t Tread on Me.”

7
In December of 1775, an anonymous Philadelphia correspondent 

wrote to Bradford’s Pennsylvania Journal concerning the symbolic use of 

the snake. He began the letter by saying:

“I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness that of any other 

animal, and that she has no eye-lids. She may, therefore, be esteemed 

an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once 

engaged, ever surrenders. She is, therefore, an emblem of magnanimity 

and true courage.”

It was probably the deadly bite of the rattler, however, which was 

foremost in the minds of its designers, and the threatening slogan “Don’t 

Tread on Me” added further significance to the design.

The Moultrie flag was the first distinctive American flag displayed in 

the South. It flew over the ramparts of the fort on Sullivan’s Island, which 

lies in the channel leading to Charleston, South Carolina, when the 

British fleet attacked on June 28, 1776. The British ships bombarded the 

fort for 10 hours. But the garrison, consisting of some 375 regulars and a 

few militia, under the command of Col. William Moultrie, put up such 

a gallant defense that the British were forced to withdraw under cover 

of darkness. This victory saved the southern Colonies from invasion for 

another two years. The flag was blue, as were the uniforms of the men of 

the garrison, and it bore a white crescent in the upper corner next to the 

staff, like the silver crescents the men wore on their caps, in-scribed with 

the words “Liberty or Death.”

The Maritime Colony of Rhode Island had its own flag, which was 

carried at Brandywine, Trenton, and Yorktown. It bore an anchor, 13 

stars, and the word “Hope.” Its white stars in a blue field are believed by 

many to have influenced the design of our national flag.

The Army preferred its regimental flags on the battlefield instead of 

the Stars and Stripes. A popular form of the U.S. flag that was used in 

battle had the obverse (front) of the Great Seal in the canton. The Army 

also used the Stars and Stripes with 13 stars in a circle. The Stars and 

Stripes was officially used in Army artillery units in 1834, and in infantry 

units in 1842.

8
Historical Flags

9

 FORT MOULTRIE

South Carolinians defending Fort 

Moultrie in Charleston Harbor in 1776 

raised one of the earliest flags of American 

liberty. The blue corresponded to their uniform, the silver crescent appeared as a badge 

worn on their caps. The cause for which 

they fought—liberty—was emblazoned on 

the crescent.

 GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS

General John Stark of New Hampshire 

commanded a militia brigade known as the 

“Green Mountain Boys.” Tradition relates 

that its green flag was flown at the Battle of 

Bennington on August 16, 1777. As in many 

American flags, the stars here were arranged 

in an arbitrary fashion. Nevertheless they 

signified the unity of the Thirteen Colonies 

in their struggle for independence.

 RHODE ISLAND REGIMENT

The State flags of America found their 

earliest forms during the Revolutionary War. 

The starry canton in the flag of the Rhode 

Island Regiment symbolized national unity, 

but the white field corresponded to the uniform of the State troops. The anchor symbol 

and motto which completed the design 

had been used for more than a century. 

The original flag may be found in the State 

House in Providence.

 COMMODORE PERRY’S FLAG

During the War of 1812 Captain James 

Lawrence of the Chesapeake encouraged his 

men, as he lay dying, by exhorting “Don’t 

Give Up the Ship.” Three months later at 

the Battle of Lake Erie, Commodore Perry 

emblazoned these words on a flag which 

carried him to victory. Similar flags and 

mottoes have inspired Americans throughout our two centuries of existence.

BENNINGTON FLAG

Originally believed to have been carried 

during the Revolution, this flag is now seen 

as having probably been made for the 50th 

anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1826. Its design is typical of the exuberant artistic expressions found in flags of 

the 19th century.

CAVALRY GUIDON

During the Civil War a special version of 

the United States flag-with swallowtail and 

stars of gold instead of white—was carried by 

the cavalry. General Custer and others used 

the flag in succeeding decades in the West.

✰
The Flag Today

T he flag of the United States of America has 13 horizontal 

stripes—7 red and 6 white—the red and white stripes alternating, and a union which consists of white stars of 5 points on 

a blue field placed in the upper quarter next to the staff and extending to 

the lower edge of the fourth red stripe from the top. The number of stars 

equals the number of States in the Union. The proportions of the flag 

as prescribed by Executive Order of President Eisenhower on August 21, 

1959, are as follows:

 Hoist (width) of flag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0

 Fly (length) of flag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.9

 Hoist (width) of union. . . . . . . . . . . 0.5385

 Fly (length) of union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.76

 Width of each stripe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.769

 Diameter of each star. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0616

Flag Anatomy

10
Flag Laws and Regulations

The laws relating to the flag of the United States of America are found 

in detail in the United States Code. Title 4, Chapter 1 pertains to the flag 

and seal, seat of Government, and official territorial papers; Section 700, 

Title 18, Chapter 33 pertains to desecration of the flag and penalties; Title 

36, Chapter 1 pertains to patriotic and national observances. These laws 

were supplemented by Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations.

Title 36, Chapter 1—PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS

§301. National anthem; Star-Spangled Banner, conduct during playing

During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all 

present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag 

with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their 

headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand 

being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute 

at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. 

When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music 

and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.

Title 4, Chapter 1—THE FLAG

§4. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, “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.”, 

should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right 

hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their 

headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand 

being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the 

flag, and render the military salute.

§5. Display and use of flag by civilians; codification of rules and 

customs; definition

The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining 

to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as 

may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or 

more executive departments of the Government of the United States. The 

flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter shall be defined 

according to Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1, Section 1 and Section 

2 and Executive Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto.

11

✰
§6. Time and occasions for display

(a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to 

sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, 

when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four 

hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

(b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is 

inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.

(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New 

Year’s Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Lincoln’s 

Birthday, February 12; Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in 

February; Easter Sunday (variable), Mother’s Day, second Sunday 

in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May: Memorial Day 

(half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; 

Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; 

Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday 

in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; 

Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, 

December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the 

President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.

(e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on 

election days.

(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every 

schoolhouse.

§7. Position and manner of display

The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, 

should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag’s own right, or, if 

there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except 

from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section.

12
13

Over the middle of a street

<<< north or east <<<

With another flag on crossed staffs

A.M. P.M.

Memorial Day

On the same halyard with flags of

states, cities and organizations

Suspended over a sidewalk
Flag Illustrations

14

At an angle from a building On a speaker’s platform

When unveiling a statue 

or monument

On a wall

Draped over a casket
Flag Illustrations

15

In a procession

Grouped with flags of other States, 

cities and organizations

With flags of two or more nations

Saluting the flag Proper display of bunting
(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back 

of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or 

clamped to the right fender.

(c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the 

same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, 

except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at 

sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall 

display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence 

or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place 

within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: 

Provided, that nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of 

the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, 

and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, 

with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the 

United Nations.

(d) The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed 

with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the 

right, the flag’s own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff 

of the other flag.

(e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center 

and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of 

States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed 

from staffs.

(f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies 

are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the 

latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from 

adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first 

and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the 

flag of the United States or to the United States flag’s right.

(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be 

flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be 

of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display 

of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of 

peace.

(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or 

front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak 

of the staff unless the flag is at half staff. When the flag is suspended 

over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the 

16
edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from 

the building.

(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, 

the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s own right, that is, 

to the observer’s left. When displayed in a window, the flag should 

be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left 

of the observer in the street.

( j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should 

be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and 

west street or to the east in a north and south street.

(k) When used on a speaker’s platform, the flag, if displayed flat, 

should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed 

from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United 

States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, 

in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the 

clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he faces the audience. Any other flag 

so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker 

or to the right of the audience.

(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of 

unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the 

covering for the statue or monument.

(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the 

peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The 

flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. 

On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon 

only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the 

flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of 

the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, 

or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the 

death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed 

at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. 

In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the 

Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the 

National flag shall be flown at half-staff. The flag shall be flown at halfstaff thirty days from the death of the President or a former President; 

ten days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice 

or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the 

House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of 

an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive 

or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a 

State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following 

17
day for a Member of Congress. As used in this subsection—

 (1) the term “half-staff” means the position of the flag when it 

is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;

 (2) the term “executive or military department” means any 

agency listed under Sections 101 and 102 of Title 5, United 

States Code; and

 (3) the term “Member of Congress” means a Senator, a 

Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from 

Puerto Rico.

(n) When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that 

the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not 

be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.

(o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a building 

with only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically with 

the union of the flag to the observer’s left upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag should be suspended 

vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby with the union to 

the north, when entrances are to the east and west or to the east when 

entrances are to the north and south. If there are entrances in more 

than two directions, the union should be to the east.

§8. Respect for the Flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of 

America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental 

colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped 

as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a 

signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the 

ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always 

aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or 

drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, 

but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always 

arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red 

below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front 

of the platform, and for decoration in general.

18
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a 

manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, 

nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on 

paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary 

use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or 

halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military 

personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn 

on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting 

emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably 

by burning.

§9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of flag

During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the 

flag is passing in a parade or in review, all persons present except those in 

uniform should face the flag and stand at attention with the right hand 

over the heart. Those present in uniform should render the military salute. 

When not in uniform, men should remove their headdress with their right 

hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Aliens 

should stand at attention. The salute to the flag in a moving column 

should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.

§10. Modification of rules and customs by President

Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the 

United States of America, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or 

repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the 

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, whenever 

he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation.

19
Flag Presentation

P resentation of the flag during a ceremony should be preceded 

by a brief talk emphasizing the importance of the occasion. 

Following the presentation all present should salute the flag, 

recite the pledge of allegiance, and sing the national anthem.

20

Folding the Flag

1. Two persons, facing each other, hold the flag waist high and horizontally between them.

2. The lower striped section is folded, lengthwise, over the blue field. 

Hold bottom to top and edges together securely.

3. Fold the flag again, lengthwise, folded edge to open edge.

4. A triangular fold is started along the length of the flag, from the end 

to the heading by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to meet 

the open edge.

5. The outer point is turned inward parallel with the open edge, forming 

a second triangle.

6. Repeat the triangular folding until the entire length of the flag is 

folded.

7. When the flag is completely folded only the triangular blue field 

should be visible.
Care of Your Flag

T he life of your flag depends on your care. Dirt can cut fabrics, dull colors, and cause wear. Most outdoor flags can be 

washed in mild detergent and thoroughly rinsed. Indoor and 

parade flags should be dry-cleaned. Many dry cleaners offer free cleaning 

of U.S. flags during the months of June and July. Damaged flags can be 

repaired and utilized as long as the overall dimensions are not noticeably 

altered. The American Legion, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts of America, 

all other major veterans’ organizations and some local governments 

conduct proper flag retirement ceremonies. Store your flags in a well 

ventilated area away from any harsh chemicals or cleaning compounds. 

If your flag gets wet, never store it until it is completely dry. Wet folds 

cause permanent creases. Dampness ruins fabric and causes mildew. Pole 

care is also related to flag care. Rust and scale cause permanent stains and 

some metallic oxides actually eat holes in fabric.

21

Sizes of Flags

T he size of the flag is determined by the exposed height of 

the flagpole from which it is flying. The only consideration 

is for the flag to be in proper proportion to its pole. Flags 

which fly from angled poles on homes and those which are displayed on 

standing poles in offices and other indoor displays are usually either 3’ 

x 5’ or 4’ x 6’. Color guards usually carry flags measuring 4’ x 6’. Other 

recommended sizes are shown in the following table:

FLAGPOLE HEIGHT (FT.) FLAG SIZE (FT.)

20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 x 6

25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 x 8

40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 x 10

50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 x 12

60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 x 15

70 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 x 18

90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 x 25

125 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 x 30

200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 x 40

250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 x 50
Flags at the United States Capitol

N o record has been found for the earliest date the flag was 

flown over the east and west fronts of the Capitol. Early 

engravings and lithographs in the office of the Architect 

of the Capitol show flags flying on either side of the original low dome 

above the corridors connecting the areas now known as Statuary Hall 

and the Old Senate Chamber.

After the addition of the new House and Senate wings in the 1850s, 

even before the great dome was completed in 1863, photographs of the 

period show flags flying over each new wing and the central east and 

west fronts.

The custom of flying the flags 24 hours a day over the east and 

west fronts was begun during World War I. This was done in response 

to requests received from all over the country urging that the flag of 

the United States be flown continuously over the public buildings in 

Washington, DC.

The east and west front flags, which are 8 x 12 feet, are replaced by 

new ones when they become worn and unfit for further use. Prior to 

machine-made flags, individuals were hired by the Congress to hand sew 

these flags.

Presidential proclamations and laws authorize the display of the flag 

24 hours a day at the following places:

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, 

Maryland (Presidential Proclamation No. 2795, July 2, 1948).

Flag House Square, Albemarle and Pratt Streets, Baltimore Maryland 

(Public Law 83-319, approved March 26, 1954).

United States Marine Corp Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia 

(Presidential Proclamation No. 3418, June 12, 1961).

On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts (Public Law 

89-335, approved November 8, 1965).

The White House, Washington, DC (Presidential Proclamation No. 

4000, September 4, 1970).

Washington Monument, Washington, DC (Presidential Proclamation 

No. 4064, July 6, 1971, effective July 4, 1971). Fifty flags of the United States 

are displayed at the Washington Monument continuously.

United States Customs Ports of Entry which are continually open 

(Presidential Proclamation No. 4131, May 5, 1972).

Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, 

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (Public Law 94-53, approved July 4, 1975).

Many other places fly the flag at night as a patriotic gesture by custom.

22
How to Obtain a 

Flag Flown Over the Capitol

C onstituents may arrange to purchase flags that have been flown 

over the Capitol by getting in touch with their Senators or 

Representatives. A certificate signed by the Architect of the 

Capitol accompanies each flag. Flags are available for purchase in sizes of 

3’ x 5’ or 5’ x 8’ in fabrics of cotton and nylon.

23
American War Mothers Flag

T he American War Mothers is a national organization chartered 

by Congress with its headquarters in Washington, DC. Its 

members are mothers whose sons and daughters have served 

or who are serving in the Armed Forces. Its objective is to aid the serviceman or veteran and his family, including those who are hospitalized.

According to records in the Office of the Architect of the U.S. Capitol, 

the American War Mothers flag was purchased by them and first flown 

over the U.S. Capitol, always below the American flag, on Armistice Day, 

November 11, 1926.

The authority for flying that flag over the U.S. Capitol on this 

occasion and in subsequent years has been granted annually by written permission of the Vice President and the Speaker of the House of 

Representatives.

Provision for the ceremony was further recognized when the flagpole on the east front, after the extension of 1960, was installed with 

two halyards.

Traditionally the flag has been raised at 11 minutes after 11 a.m. by 

a detail from the Capitol Police. The flag flies until sundown, although 

originally it flew only for three hours. A bugler selected from one of the 

armed services plays taps. Brief memorial services are held in connection 

with the ceremony. These services have been accommodated on the east 

and west front steps or in Statuary Hall, and permission to hold them is 

generally granted in the same letter that permits the flag to be flown.

The act of July 1, 1882, regulating the use of the Capitol Grounds, 

vests the Vice President and the Speaker with the authority to grant 

this privilege.

The American War Mothers flag is kept in a safe at the U.S. Capitol. 

The present flag, first used in 1970, replaced the original woolen flag of 

1926. It is of a synthetic fabric, 47 x 72 inches in size, consisting of a 

white field with a red border 11 inches wide. At the top is an 11-inch blue 

star for the 4,695,039 who served in World War I. These figures are 2 1

⁄2

inches in blue. Across the center in 4-inch letters are the words “United 

States Service Flag.” Below is an 11-inch gold star for the 60,672 who gave 

their lives. These figures are 2 1

⁄2 inches high in gold.

24
A ny honorably discharged veteran is entitled to a burial flag. 

The funeral director, as part of the services, will make the 

necessary arrangements for the family on behalf of the veteran. 

The flag may be used to cover the casket and it is presented to the family as a keepsake. The local office of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs 

can also provide information on the procedure for obtaining a flag for a 

deceased veteran.

25

How to Obtain a Burial Flag 

for a Veteran
Flags of States and Territories

26

 ALABAMA

Entered the Union in 1819 as the 22nd 

State; flag adopted in 1895. The diagonal 

cross and the square shape of the flag recall 

the Battle Flag of the Confederacy, organized in February of 1861 in Montgomery, 

Alabama’s capital.

 ALASKA

Entered the Union in 1959 as the 49th 

State; flag adopted in 1927. Benny Benson, 

a 13-year-old student, chose the North 

Star and the Big Dipper when he designed 

Alaska’s flag in a territorial school contest. 

Its colors recall the Alaskan sky and its gold.

 ARIZONA

Entered the Union in 1912 as the 48th 

state; flag adopted in 1917. Red and yellow 

are the colors of Spain, while blue is for the 

United States and the copper star symbolizes mineral resources. The rays suggest the 

setting sun over the desert.

 ARKANSAS

Entered the Union in 1836 as the 25th 

State; flag adopted in 1913, modified in 

1923 and 1924. Arkansas’ rank in the Union 

is indicated by the stars which border the 

diamond, recalling that it is the only State 

where minerals are mined. The four stars in 

the diamond refer to important aspects of 

Arkansas history.
27

CALIFORNIA

Entered the Union in 1850 as the 31st 

State; flag adopted in 1911, modified in 

1953. Americans, in what was then Mexican 

territory, proclaimed the independence of 

California on June 14, 1846. The banner of 

their “Bear Flag Republic” was later adopted 

by the State.

COLORADO

Entered the Union in 1876 as the 38th 

State; flag adopted in 1911, modified in 

1964. Yellow and white refer to the mining 

of gold and silver, while these colors plus 

blue are found in the Rocky Mountain columbine, the State flower. Red is also for the 

Spanish word for that color—colorado.

CONNECTICUT

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as 

the fifth State; flag adopted in 1897. The 

grapevines in the coat of arms refer to the 

three original colonies—Connecticut, New 

Haven, and Saybrook. The motto “He Who 

Brought Us Over Will Sustain Us,” is based 

on the 80th Psalm.

DELAWARE

Ratified the Constitution on December 1, 

1787, as the first State; flag adopted in 1913. 

Revolutionary War uniforms are honored in 

the blue and buff colors while commerce 

(the ship), and agriculture (wheat, corn, ox, 

farmer) are featured in the coat of arms.
28

FLORIDA

Entered the Union in 1845 as the 27th 

State; flag adopted in 1900, modified in 

1985. The cross derives from the Confederate 

Battle Flag. The State seal shows a Seminole 

woman, a steamboat, and the State tree—a 

sabal palmetto palm.

 GEORGIA

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 

fourth State; redesign adopted in 2003 based 

on the first national flag of the Confederacy. 

In the center of the blue canton is a circle of 

13 white stars, symbolizing Georgia and the 

other 12 original states. Within the circle of 

stars is Georgia’s coat of arms immediately 

above the words “In God We Trust”. 

HAWAII

Entered the Union in 1959 as the 50th 

State; flag adopted in 1816, modified in 

1845. The British Union Jack recalls the 

one presented to King Kamehameha I in 

1793 by Captain George Vancouver. The 

eight stripes are for the principal islands 

of Hawaii.

 IDAHO

Entered the Union in 1890 as the 43rd 

State; flag adopted in 1927. The seal incorporates symbols of agriculture, mining, forestry, wildlife, and women’s rights. The 

Latin motto means “May She Last Forever.”
29

ILLINOIS

Entered the Union in 1818 as the 21st 

State; flag adopted in 1915, modified in 

1970. The central design is from the State 

seal and shows national symbols plus dates 

of Statehood (1818) and the seal itself 

(1868).

 INDIANA

Entered the Union in 1816 as the 19th 

state; flag adopted in 1917. The outer ring 

of stars is for the original States, the inner 

ring for those up to and including Indiana. 

Enlightenment and liberty spreading 

throughout the land are represented by the 

torch and rays.

IOWA

Entered the Union in 1846 as the 29th 

State; flag adopted in 1921. The eagle and 

motto ribbon are found in the State seal. 

The stripes recall the French Tricolor since 

Iowa was acquired from France as part of the 

Louisiana Purchase.

 KANSAS

Entered the Union in 1861 as the 34th 

State; flag adopted in 1925, modified in 

1927 and 1963. A sunflower, the State floral 

emblem, appears above the State seal with 

figures representing pioneer life. The motto 

means “To the Stars Through Difficulties.”
30

KENTUCKY

Entered the Union in 1792 as the 15th 

State; flag adopted in 1918, modified in 

1962. The frontiersman and hunter, representing Kentucky and the original States, 

express the meaning of the motto in the 

seal. The State flower (goldenrod) frames 

the design at the bottom.

LOUISIANA

Entered the Union in 1812 as the 18th 

State; flag adopted in 1912. In heraldry a 

pelican tearing at her breast to feed her 

young is a symbol of self sacrifice. Louisiana 

used this symbol as a territory prior to 

Statehood.

MAINE

Entered the Union in 1820 as the 23rd 

State; flag adopted in 1909. The motto “I 

Direct” refers to the North Star, Maine having once been the northernmost State. 

Agriculture, shipping and forestry are symbolized by other elements in the coat of arms.

MARYLAND

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 

seventh State; flag adopted in 1904. The 

coat of arms of the Lords Baltimore unites 

symbols of the Calvert and Crossland families. Maryland has used similar flags since 

at least 1638.
31

MASSACHUSETTS

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 

sixth State; flag adopted in 1908, modified 

in 1971. The State motto translates “This 

Hand Opposed to Tyrants Searches, with 

the Sword, for Peaceful Conditions Under 

Liberty.” The star indicates Statehood while 

the Native American was a Massachusetts 

symbol as early as 1629.

MICHIGAN

Entered the Union in 1837 as the 26th 

State; flag adopted in 1911. The national 

motto is accompanied in the Michigan arms 

by the slogans “I Shall Defend” and “If You 

Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look Around 

You.” An elk, moose, and scenes from 

nature are included in the design.

MINNESOTA

Entered the Union in 1858 as the 32nd 

State; flag adopted in 1957. A scene from 

pioneer life appears in the State seal together with the motto “The North Star.” The 

nineteen stars indicate Minnesota’s rank in 

Statehood, following the original thirteen 

States.

MISSISSIPPI

Entered the Union in 1817 as the 20th 

State; flag adopted in 1894. The State flag 

is a combination of two Confederate flags—

the Stars and Bars and the Battle Flag, both 

including the national colors.
32

MISSOURI

Entered the Union in 1821 as the 24th 

State; flag adopted in 1913. On a background of the national colors appear the 

Missouri arms framed by stars indicating 

its order of Statehood. The Latin motto 

means “Let the Welfare of the People Be the 

Supreme Law.”

MONTANA

Entered the Union in 1889 as the 41st 

State; flag adopted in 1905, modified 1981. 

The State seal shows the Great Falls of the 

Missouri River and tools indicating mining and agriculture. The motto “Gold and 

Silver” appears on a ribbon below.

NEBRASKA

Entered the Union in 1867 as the 37th 

State; flag adopted in 1925. Included in 

the State seal are the Rocky Mountains, the 

Missouri River, wheat and corn, a steamboat, a train, and a blacksmith with his 

hammer and anvil.

NEVADA

Entered the Union in 1864 as the 36th 

state; flag adopted in 1991. Sprigs of sagebrush the state flower, form a wreath on 

Nevada’s flag. The silver star symbolizes 

Nevada’s mineral wealth, and the words 

“Battle Born” indicate that Nevada became 

a state during the Civil War.
33

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 

ninth State; flag adopted in 1909, modified 

in 1932. The importance in New Hampshire 

of shipbuilding during the Revolutionary 

War is suggested by the State seal. The nine 

stars correspond to New Hampshire’s rank 

among the States.

NEW JERSEY

Ratified the Constitution in 1787 as the 

third State; flag adopted in 1896. The buff 

background is for the uniforms worn by 

Revolutionary War soldiers from New Jersey. 

The coat of arms has the goddesses of liberty 

and agriculture, as well as three plows and 

a horse’s head.

NEW MEXICO

Entered the Union in 1912 as the 47th 

State; flag adopted in 1925. The red and 

gold colors of Spain, which once ruled the 

area, are combined with an ancient sun 

symbol of the Zia tribe of Native Americans 

in this flag.

NEW YORK

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 

11th State; flag adopted in 1901. The coat of 

arms shows a scene along the Hudson River, 

framed by goddesses of liberty and justice. 

The American eagle surmounts the world at 

the top; the motto “Excelsior” appears below.
34

NORTH CAROLINA

Ratified the Constitution in 1789 as 

the 12th State; flag adopted in 1885. The 

national colors, a star for Statehood, and 

the initials of the State are included. The 

dates are for the Mecklenburg Declaration 

of Independence (May 20, 1775) and the 

Halifax Resolves (April 12, 1776).

NORTH DAKOTA

Entered the Union in 1889 as the 39th 

State; flag adopted in 1911. A military flag 

with a modified version of the United States 

coat of arms was carried by the Dakota 

Territorial Guard and later the North Dakota 

National Guard. The State flag is a modified 

version of those banners.

OHIO

Entered the Union in 1803 as the 17th 

State; flag adopted in 1902. The only nonrectangular State flag has stars indicating 

Ohio’s order of Statehood. The red disk and 

white rim are for the State tree (the buckeye) 

and first letter of the State name.

OKLAHOMA

Entered the Union in 1907 as the 46th 

State; flag adopted in 1925, modified 1941 

and 1988. An Osage shield stands for 

defense, its small crosses for lofty ideals. The 

blue background symbolizes loyalty, while 

the olive branch and calumet are for peace.
35

OREGON

Entered the Union in 1859 as the 33rd 

State; flag adopted in 1925. The ox wagon 

of pioneers combines with scenes of nature 

and symbols of agriculture and shipping. The 

reverse of the flag is blue with a gold beaver.

PENNSYLVANIA

Ratified the Constitution in 1787 as 

the second State; flag adopted in 1907. 

The coat of arms incorporates a ship for 

commerce and a plow and wheat sheaves 

for agriculture. Draft horses, the American 

eagle, and the State motto complete the 

design.

RHODE ISLAND

Ratified the Constitution in 1790 as the 

13th State; flag adopted in 1897. An anchor 

traditional symbol of hope, was first adopted by Rhode Island as a symbol in 1647. 

Rhode Island troops in the Revolutionary 

War carried flags of white with an anchor 

and thirteen stars.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as 

the eighth State; flag adopted in 1861. 

Troops defending harbor forts during the 

Revolutionary War displayed a blue flag with 

a white crescent. The State tree, a palmetto, 

was added to the flag when South Carolina 

proclaimed its independence in 1861.
36

SOUTH DAKOTA

Entered the Union in 1889 as the 40th 

State; flag adopted in 1963 and redesigned 

in 1992. The flag features the state seal surrounded by a golden blazing sun in a field 

of sky blue. Letters reading “South Dakota, 

The Mount Rushmore State” —the official 

state nickname—are arranged in a circle 

around the sun.

TENNESSEE

Entered the Union in 1796 as the 16th 

State; flag adopted in 1905. The three stars 

refer to the act that Tennessee was the third 

State to join after the Original Thirteen and 

is composed of three geographic regions. 

The colors are found in the flags of the 

United States and of the Confederacy.

TEXAS

Entered the Union in 1845 as the 28th 

State; flag adopted in 1839. The American 

origin of the settlers who revolted against 

Mexican rule and established the independent Republic of Texas was reflected in the 

flags they carried, including the one which 

eventually became the State flag of the 

“Lone Star State.”

UTAH

Entered the Union in 1896 as the 45th 

State; flag adopted in 1911, modified in 

1913. The beehive symbolizes industry, 

while the American eagle and flags stand for 

loyalty to the Nation. The early settlers were 

saved from starvation by eating the sego 

lily, now recognized as the State flower.
37

VERMONT

Entered the Union in 1791 as the 14th 

State; flag adopted in 1923. The coat of 

arms, based on the State seal, shows a scene 

from nature with pine tree and mountains. 

Branches of pine below commemorate the 

1814 Battle of Plattsburgh.

VIRGINIA

Ratified the Constitution in 1788 as the 

10th State, flag adopted in 1861. The Latin 

motto “Thus Ever to Tyrants” is reflected 

in the design of the seal, which shows a 

woman subduing a king. Around the edges 

are vines of ivy known as Virginia creeper.

WASHINGTON

Entered the Union in 1889 as the 42nd 

State; flag adopted in 1923, modified in 

1967. The “Evergreen State” shows the color 

green for the background of its flag, which 

bears the State seal. The president for whom 

the State was named was made part of the 

seal in 1889.

WEST VIRGINIA

Entered the Union in 1863 as the 35th 

State; flag adopted in 1905, modified in 

1907 and 1929. The big laurel, the State 

flower, frames the shield of the State seal. 

The hunter and miner stand over a motto 

meaning “Mountaineers Are Always Free.”
38

WISCONSIN

Entered the Union in 1848 as the 30th 

State; flag adopted in 1913, modified in 

1981. Various symbols of agriculture, mining, shipping, and industry are found in 

the coat of arms of Wisconsin. The badger 

over the shield is a reference to the State 

nickname.

WYOMING

Entered the Union in 1890 as the 44th 

State; flag adopted in 1917. The State seal 

appears on a silhouette of a bison, familiar to 19th century settlers. The red is for 

Native Americans, white for purity, and blue 

for the sky, justice, and loyalty.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Established in 1791; flag adopted in 

1938. The design was based on the shield 

from George Washington’s family coat of 

arms. It has no historical relationship to 

the Stars and Stripes, despite the similarity 

of design.

AMERICAN SAMOA

Unincorporated American territory since 

1900; flag adopted in 1960. Red, white, 

and blue are the colors of Samoa and the 

United States. The American bald eagle 

holds traditional Samoan symbols, a staff 

and war club.
39

GUAM

Established as a territory of the United 

States in 1898; flag adopted in 1917, modified 

in 1948. The traditional Chamorro canoe, 

a palm tree, and the mouth of the Agaña 

River appear in the seal. The shape of the seal 

recalls the ancient Guamanian sling stone.

NORTHERN MARIANAS

Commonwealth established in 1986; flag 

adopted in 1972. Blue is for the Pacific 

Ocean, the star for the commonwealth. 

The gray latte stone is for Taga, a legendary 

Chamorro. The Stone and star are surrounded by the traditional Carolinian mwaar.

PUERTO RICO

Commonwealth established in 1952; flag 

adopted in 1952. Based on the Cuban flag 

and, ultimately, the Stars and Stripes, the 

flag of Puerto Rico was created in 1895 

when the island was seeking independence 

from Spain.

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Established as a territory of the United 

States in 1917; flag adopted in 1921. The 

coat of arms of the United States has been 

simplified and stylized for use in the territorial flag together with the initials of the 

islands. Many believe the arrows stand for 

St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.

Text by Dr. Whitney Smith, Flag Research Center, Winchester, Massachusetts.
Flag Day

Each year on June 14, we celebrate the birthday of the Stars and 

Stripes, which came into being on June 14, 1777. At that time, 

the Second Continental Congress authorized a new flag to symbolize the new Nation, the United States of America.

The Stars and Stripes first flew in a Flag Day celebration in Hartford, 

Connecticut in 1861, during the first summer of the Civil War. The first 

national observance of Flag Day occurred June 14, 1877, the centennial 

of the original flag resolution.

By the mid 1890s the observance of Flag Day on June 14 was a popular event. Mayors and governors began to issue proclamations in their 

jurisdictions to celebrate this event.

In the years to follow, public sentiment for a national Flag Day 

observance greatly intensified. Numerous patriotic societies and veterans 

groups became identified with the Flag Day movement. Since their main 

objective was to stimulate patriotism among the young, schools were the 

first to become involved in flag activities.

In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation calling for 

a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14. It was not until 1949 

that Congress made this day a permanent observance by resolving “That 

the 14th day of June of each year is hereby designated as Flag Day . . .” 

The measure was signed into law by President Harry Truman.

Although Flag Day is not celebrated as a Federal holiday, Americans 

everywhere continue to honor the history and heritage it represents.

40
The Great Seal of the United States

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution 

authorizing a committee to devise a seal for the United States of 

America. This mission, designed to reflect the Founding Fathers’ 

beliefs, values, and sovereignty of the new Nation, did not become a reality until June 20, 1782.

In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning. Even colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white, and blue 

did not have meanings for the Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 

1777. However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings. 

Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reporting to 

Congress on the Seal, stated:

“The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag 

of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, 

hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above 

the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice.”

The obverse front of the Great Seal—which is used 2,000 to 3,000 

times a year—authenticates the President’s signature on numerous official documents such as treaty ratifications, international agreements, 

appointments of Ambassadors and civil officers, and communications 

from the President to heads of foreign governments. The design of the 

obverse of the Seal, which is the U.S. coat of arms, can be shown on 

coins, postage stamps, passports, monuments and flags, and in many 

other ways. The American public sees both the obverse and less familiar 

reverse, which is never used as a seal, every day when exchanging the 

$1 dollar bill.

The Great Seal die, counter die, press, and cabinet in which they are 

housed, are located in the Exhibit Hall of the Department of State inside 

a locked glass enclosure. An officer from the Department’s Presidential 

Appointments Staff does the actual sealing of documents after the 

Secretary of State has countersigned the President’s signature.

41
 Obverse

The American bald eagle is prominently featured supporting a shield 

composed of 13 red and white stripes (pales) representing the Thirteen 

Original States with a blue bar (chief) uniting the shield and representing 

Congress. The motto of the United States, E Pluribus Unum (meaning out of 

many, one), refers to this union. The olive branch and 13 arrows grasped 

by the eagle allude to peace and war, powers solely vested in the Congress, 

and the constellation of stars symbolizes the new Nation taking its place 

among the sovereign powers.

 Reverse

The pyramid signifies strength and duration: The eye over it and the 

motto, Annuit Coeptis (meaning He, [God] has favored our undertakings), 

allude to the many interventions of Providence in favor of the American 

cause. The Roman numerals below are the date of the Declaration of 

Independence. The words under it, Novus Ordo Seclorum (meaning a new 

order of the ages), signify the beginning of the new American era in 1776.

42
Fort McHenry

F ort McHenry is located in Baltimore, Maryland. This low 

citadel overlooks the entrance to Baltimore harbor, and it is 

where the Americans defended the city against British land 

and naval attack on September 13-14 in 1814. It was during this battle 

that Francis Scott Key began the draft to “The Star-Spangled Banner” 

after seeing the flag still flying after a day and night of bombardment.

The fort continued in active military service for nearly a century 

after the battle, but changing technology eventually made it obsolete as 

a coastal defense system. Today the 43-acre fort is preserved as a national 

monument and historic shrine. The property is managed by the National 

Park Service, and the flag is flown over the fort 24 hours a day.

43

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historical Shrine © Paul A. Souders/CORBIS
The Flag House

T he Flag House is located on the northwest corner of 

Albermarle and Pratt Streets in Baltimore, Maryland. It was 

the home of Mary Pickersgill from 1807 to 1857, and it was 

where she made the original “Star-Spangled Banner,” which measured 

30 by 42 feet. The stripes were two feet wide and the stars were two feet 

from point to point. Mrs. Pickersgill was paid $405.90 for her services. 

The flag was delivered to Fort McHenry on August 19, 1813, a full year 

before the Battle of Baltimore.

In 1876, Caroline Pickersgill Purdy wrote a letter to Georgiana Armistead 

Appleton, daughter of the Fort McHenry Commandant, in which she 

recounted the details of the making of the flag. Caroline wrote:

“It was made by my mother, Mrs. Mary Pickersgill, and I assisted 

her. My grandmother, Rebecca Young, made the first flag of the 

Revolution under General Washington’s directions, and for this reason 

my mother was selected by Commodore Barney and General Stricker 

to make this star-spangled banner, being an exceedingly patriotic 

woman. This flag, I think, contained four hundred yards of bunting, 

and my mother worked many nights until twelve o’clock to complete 

it in a given time.”

The flag bears the autograph of Lt. Col. George Armistead as well as 

the date of the British bombardment. The flag remained in the Armistead 

family for many years until it was loaned to the Smithsonian for an 

official display in 1907. On December 19, 1912, it was donated to the 

Smithsonian where it is now on permanent exhibit. In 1914, muchneeded preservative work was done on the flag by Mrs. Amelia Fowler 

and several other restoration experts. Although the flag was reduced in 

size in order to repair it, the reinforcement technique used has preserved 

its existence.

The Flag House is a National Historic Landmark, and is operated by 

an independent non-profit association. The flag is flown over the house 

24 hours a day. 

44
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

“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.”

The Pledge of Allegiance received official recognition by Congress 

in an Act approved on June 22, 1942. However, the pledge was first 

published in 1892 in the Youth’s Companion magazine in Boston, 

Massachusetts to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of 

America, and was first used in public schools to celebrate Columbus Day 

on October 12,1892.

In its original version, the pledge read “my flag” instead of the “flag 

of the United States.” The change in the wording was adopted by the 

National Flag Conference in 1923. The rationale for the change was that it 

prevented ambiguity among foreign-born children and adults who might 

have the flag of their native land in mind when reciting the pledge.

The phrase “under God” was added to the pledge by a Congressional 

act approved on June 14, 1954. At that time, President Eisenhower said:

“in this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious 

faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly 

strengthen those spiritual weapons, which forever will be our country’s 

most powerful resource in peace and war.” 

45
The American’s Creed

I BELIEVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS 

A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, 

FOR THE PEOPLE; WHOSE JUST POWERS ARE 

DERIVED FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED; A 

DEMOCRACY IN A REPUBLIC, A SOVEREIGN NATION 

OF MANY SOVEREIGN STATES; A PERFECT UNION, 

ONE AND INSEPARABLE; ESTABLISHED UPON THOSE 

PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, JUSTICE, 

AND HUMANITY FOR WHICH AMERICAN PATRIOTS 

SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES AND FORTUNES.

I THEREFORE BELIEVE IT IS MY DUTY TO 

MY COUNTRY TO LOVE IT; TO SUPPORT ITS 

CONSTITUTION; TO OBEY ITS LAWS; TO RESPECT ITS 

FLAG; AND TO DEFEND IT AGAINST ALL ENEMIES.

The Creed was written in 1918 by William Tyler Page of Friendship 

Heights, Maryland in the course of a nationwide contest on the subject. 

Page was a descendent of President Tyler, and Representative John Page, 

who served in the Congress from 1789-97.

William Tyler Page began his government career as a Congressional 

page in December of 1881. In 1919, he was elected Clerk of the House of 

Representatives, and held that position until December of 1931. A new 

post, Emeritus Minority Clerk, was then created for him which he occupied until his death on October 20, 1942.

46
School Projects

T he study of the history and symbolism of flags is known as 

VEXILLOLOGY from the Latin word, VEXILLUM, which means a 

square flag or banner.

Numerous books have been written about the flag. Local and school 

libraries should have a catalog reference for these books. Also, military 

and veterans organizations as well as the Daughters of the American 

Revolution and the American Legion provide useful information on the 

flag and flag code.

You also can find the complete flag code, including laws and proclamations in the depository library in your Congressional district. Your 

local librarian can assist you in obtaining information from your nearest 

depository library.

FURTHER READING

The Library of Congress prepared this list for use by students interested in 

learning more about the flag of the United States. These publications may be 

found in school and public libraries.

Behrens, June. Flag for a New Country: The Betsy Ross Story: A Play. Newport Beach, 

CA: York House Publishers, 1996.

Bennett, Mabel R. “. . . So Gallantly Streaming”. The Story of Old Glory; the History 

 and Proper Use of Our Flag from 1776 to the Present. New York: Drake, 1974.

Bennett, Mabel R. Old Glory: the Story of Our Flag. Largo, FL: Snibbe Publications, 

 1970.

Blassingame, Wyatt. The Story of the United States Flag. Champaign, IL: Garrard,

 1969.

Boy Scouts of America. Broad Stripes and Bright Stars. New York: American Heritage 

 Press, 1970.

Cooper, Grace Rogers. Thirteen-star Flags: Keys to Identification. Washington: 

 Smithsonian Institution Press (Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, 

No. 21), 1973.

Crouthers, David. Flags of American History. Maplewood, NJ: Hammond, 1978.

D’Alessandro, Robert. Glory. New York: Elephant Publishing, 1973.

Delaplaine, Edward S. John Philip Sousa and the National Anthem. Frederick, MD: 

 Great Southern Press, 1983.

Devine, Louise Lawrence. The Story of Our Flag. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1968.

Fradin, Dennis B. The Flag of the United States. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1988.

Furlong, William Rea. So Proudly We Hail. Washington, DC: Smithsonian 

 Institution Press, 1981.

Historic American Flags. Worcester, MA: Aj. St. Onge, 1968.

Kaddy, Bedford 0. Where and Why the American Flag Flies Twenty-four Hours a Day.

 New York: Vantage Press, 1977.

47
Key, Francis Scott. The Star Spangled Banner. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1973. 

Library of Congress. American Revolution Bicentennial Office. Twelve Flags of the 

 American Revolution. Washington, DC: Library of Congress Exhibits Office, 1974.

Lichtenwanger, William. The Music of the Star-Spangled Banner from Ludgate Hill to 

 Capitol Hill. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1977.

Manning, John R. The Story of Old Glory. Phoenix, AZ: Continuing Education 

 Institute, 1971.

Mastai, Bolesaw. The Stars and Stripes; The American Flag as Art and as History, from 

 the Birth of the Republic to the Present. New York: Knopf, 1973.

Mayer, Jane (Rothschild). Betsy Ross and the Flag. New York: Random House 

 (Landmark Books; 26), 1952.

Miller, Natalie. The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner. Chicago: Childrens Press, 

 1965.

Morris, Robert. The Truth About the Betsy Ross Story. Beach Haven, NJ: Wynnehaven 

 Publishing Co., 1982.

Morris, Robert. The Truth About the American Flag. Beach Haven, NJ: Wynnehaven 

 Publishing Co., 1976.

Mountain, Lee Harrison. Uncle Sam and the Flag. Fayettville, GA: Oddo Publishers, 

 1978.

National Flag Foundation. The New Constellation: the Story of America as Told 

 Through Its Flags, Which Are the Symbols of Its Civil, Economic, and Religious 

Freedom. Pittsburgh, PA: The Foundation, 1977.

Parrish, Thomas. The American Flag. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973.

Quaife, Milo Milton. The History of the United States Flag, From the Revolution to the 

 Present, Including a Guide to Its Use and Display. New York: Harper, 1961. 

Rivers, Anderson Man. History of the American Flag. New York: Vantage Press,

 1967.

Sedeen, Margaret. Star-Spangled Banner: Our Nation and Its Flag. Washington, DC: 

 National Geographic Society, 2001.

Silkett, John T. Francis Scott Key and the History of the Star Spangled Banner.

 Washington, DC: Vintage America Publishing Co., 1978.

Smith, Whitney. The Flag Book of the United States. New York: Morrow, 1975.

The Star-Spangled Banner - Glorious American Heritage; Handbook for School, Horne, and 

 Community. Compiled by C.F. Nagro. Roselle, IL: Rosellian Fine Arts Society, 1975.

Tonn, Maryjane Hooper. You’re a Grand Old Flag. Milwaukee, WI: Ideals Publishing 

 Co., 1972.

United States Marine Corps. How to Respect and Display Our Flag. Washington, DC: 

 Government Printing Office, 1968.

U.S. Capitol Historical Society. The Flag of the United States and State Flags, Seals & 

 Mottoes. Washington, DC: The Society, 1989.

Waller, Leslie. Our Flag. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960.

Wannamaker, W.W. A Story of American Flags; From the Banners of Columbus to the 

 First Flag on the Moon. Columbia, SC: State Printing Co., 1971.

Weil, Ann. Betsy Ross, Girl of Old Philadelphia. New York: Aladdin Books, 1983.

Werstein, Irving. The Stars and Stripes. New York: Golden Press, 1969.

Williams, Earl P. What You Should Know About the American Flag. Gettysburg, PA:

 Thomas Publications, 1989.

48
“The Star-Spangled Banner”

by Francis Scott Key, September 1814

(Sung to the tune “To Anacreon in Heaven”)

“0 say! can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.

0 say! does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave

0’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

“On the shore, dimly seen thro’ the mist of the deep,

Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream.

‘Tis the Star-Spangled Banner. 0 long may it wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

“And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,

That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more? 

Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave

0’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

“O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand

Between their lov’d home and war’s desolation,

Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n-rescued land

Praise the pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto, ‘In God is Our Trust.’

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” 
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