The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-09-04
STAR FOR every,
STATEN union
First Flag Was Made by Betsy
Ross at Request Of General
Washington.

Grafton Of Labor is composed of
patriots who stand four-square
for the flag of our country, the
following sketch Of it's inception
and what it has accomplished is
Of interest:
The youthful generations of our
country should be taught patriotism
and civic pride, and how to become
industrious and worth while citizens.
They should not only be taught to
take an interest in the civic affairs
OF the town or city in which they
are born, but they should also be
made acquainted with the more i'm
portant affairs concerning their home
state and the nation generally. The
leading historical events of our coun-
try should be indelibly stamped upon
their memory and they should be
taught to understand to the utter
most the privations and sacrifices
which our forefathers suffered in or
der that liberty and freedom, as de-
fined In the constitution Of the United
States, might endure . forever. ,xOur
public schools are leaving no stone
unturned TO familiarize our pupils
with the patriotic deeds of those
early citizens Of our country, which
had so much to do with the shaping
OF its present day history.
- The First Flag.
we know Of no city in this country
whose historic associations have had
4 more direct bearing on the build
ing stones OF our republic than Phila-
delph1a. It was there that the foun-
detions were laid, by patriotic utter
ancs and deed, for the home Of lib
erty. It was there that the Declara-
ton Of Independence was drawn up
and signed by such men as John Ham
cock, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jeffer-
son and Benjamin Franklin. And it
was in the city of Philadelphia, in a
tiny house on Arch street, near
Third, that Betsy Ross, at the per-
sonal request Of General Washington.
made the first American flag.
The sample flag was made with 10
stripes and 10 stars, emblematic of
the 13 original colonies, and it was
adopted as our national flag by a
resolution Of congress on June IA.
lit. 1t first waved over the United
States congress in session in Inde-
pendence hall, and to PHILADELPHIA
belongs the honor of originating the
custom OF observing Flag day in the
public schools of our country.
1t Floats Everywhere.
Today the American flag floats over
almost everv sob ooILouso - A.. ~
try, and over nearly all federal and
Pubic buildings. It is an eternal SYM
Dol Of patriotism to every American
born citizen, and an emblem OF hope,
inspiration and courage to those who
have come from the countries of the
Old World to find homes for them
selves in the land of freedom, oppor-
,tunity and education.
throughout the remaining duration
OF the Revolutionary war, and dur
in the war of 1912, the American
armies, both on land and sea, tireless-
ly followed our national flag to vic
tory. And nearly 100 years later,
from 1861 to 1865. that terrible Pc
Rod when our country was divided
against itself by civil war, and the
north was compelled to unfurl the
flag and march against our southern
states in order that the nation that
had been welded on July 4, 1875,
might not be broken, American man
hood by thousands cheerfully bled and
died beneath is starry, fields.
Over a Re-United Nation.
In 1898, when Spain, as a. result
Of her insolence and cruelty, was
dealt her death-blow as a world
power in Manila bay, the American
flag, once more the emblem of a
united country, gloriously shook its
folds, to the bree as the Raleigh
fired the first shot in reply to the
guns from the Spanish .forts...
And yet again, In 1917, when
America az q nation entered the
European war and became the de-
Gliding factor in crushing into the dust
the Prussian war lords, and avowed
herself a champion Of all the smaller
nations Of the earth in establishing
for themselves an Independent form
Of government, the American flag