The Washington herald., 1917-04-07
STARS and STRIPES
OLDEST OF ALL FLAGS
National Museum Enshrines Banners
Showing Periodic Changes.

2
What do you know about the origin.
meaning and history Of the American
nag7
Take a trip to the National Museum.
The national depository Of American rel
les. II you wish to learn many things
about the nag which you may not know.
Naturally there were many forms of
early flags. especially colonial types
used by the Individual colonies. and mi
mia regiments. before the flag Of the
United States was established by the
Continental Congress on July II. hi,
now celebrated as Flag Day.
At that time Washington Is said to
hSre observed. I'VE take the star from
Heaven, the red from our mother coun-
I Try, separating Il by white stripes, thus
slowing that we have separated from
Der. and the white stripes shall go
down to posterity representing liberty"
The first display of the Stars and
Stripes Is believed to have been on Au-
gust 8. HI. when the new flag was
hoisted over the troops at Fort Schuyler.
Rome. New York. John Paul Jones is
said to have been the first to fly the
Stars and Stripes over the high seas on
the Ranger" in November, III. The
National Museum has an early naval
la-star type nag said to have been
hown by John Paul Jones during the war
OF the revolution.
The series of haKs in the National Mu-
seum show the periodic changes which
have taken place in our flag. From the
time Of the Revolution the stars and
stripes in the flag have varied. There
were 13 stars during the Revolution. Is
IN the War Of 1872, % in the Mexican
war. S3-S in the civil war. IS in the Span
ish war. and IS today. The stripes were
a rat nd
back again to l3
It may be surprising to know that our
national flag Is among tine oldest hags Of
the nations. being older than the present
British Jack, the French Tricolor, and
the flag of Spain, and many years older
tshn the flags Of Germany and Italy.
soTne OF which are either personal flags
or those of the reigning families.
The flag OF the highest historic and
sentimental value to the whole country
Is in the National Museum collections.
II is the original Star Spangled Banner"
which flew over Fort McHenry in Balti-
more Harbor. during the bombardment on
September 1914. 1914, and was the insplr-
alton of Francis Scott Keys immortal
poem. now sung as our national anthem.
II seems that for many years the army
lid not carry the Stars and Stripes in
battle though it had been in general
Use garrison flag. The land forces
during this period and before 1t. carried
what was known as national colors or
standards, of blue with the arms OF the
United States emblazoned thereon, COM
pTising an eagle surmounted by a num-
rer of stars. with the designation Of the
body of troops.
Many styles and forms of the stars and
stripes flag were in existence up TO 1b42.
and it was not until during President
Taft's administration that definite speci-
fications were drawn up. An executive
order. dated October %. 1872. tended to
standardize the Stars and Stripes and
yet further specifications in sizes were
found necessary by President Wilson,
only last year.
The history of our flag indicates that
the Stars and Stripes was not carried
by our troops in battle until the period
Of the Mexican war, 1851.