What does the US flag mean? History of the flag of the United States and the Confederation Americans are very proud of their national flag. Banner even gave a few informal nicknames - for example, "Old Glory" or "Stars and Stripes." Many beautiful legends and traditions are associated with it. The flag of the USA is really quite remarkable. First, it is one of the oldest in the world, second only to the flags of Great Britain and France. Secondly, the tones in which it is painted are much darker than the colors traditionally used for the flags of other countries. This oddity is explained by the fact that in the 18th century (when the star-striped banner appeared) there were not enough persistent dyes yet. I had to take the darkest colors so that the flag would not burn out in the sun as long as possible. Today, the American flag is one of the most recognizable and replicable symbols in the world. The banner of the American Revolution The history of the US flag begins almost 250 years ago. The need for a flag of its own for American colonists arose only during the war of independence from Great Britain (1775-1783). The banner of the army was George Washington, the future first president of the United States. However, various banners fluttered over the shelves of Washington, each of which, under certain circumstances, could today crown the roof of the White House. An alternative to the "Stars and Stripes" could be: the Gadsden flag, so named after its creator, Colonel Christopher Gadsden. This unusual banner is a yellow cloth, which depicts a rattlesnake preparing to attack, and under it is a warning: "Do not step on me." After the New York terrorist attack of 2001, a flag with a rattlesnake on the background of red and white stripes began to be used as a guise by the US naval forces. It was a kind of response to world terrorism. Also the classic Gadsdenovsky flag is often raised by representatives of radical political movements. Continental flag. Paradoxically, in some sectors of the front, the war against Great Britain was waged under the British flag: the Continental Banner is a fragment of the flag of the United Kingdom, placed against a background of 13 red and white stripes. The stripes were to symbolize the first 13 American colonies. "The tree of freedom." The banner is a green pine tree depicted on a white background, above which the inscription: "Appeal to the heavens" is displayed. A variety of white pine that grows in America, is highly valued in England. As a result, all the trees of this breed were declared the property of the British crown, and the colonists were strictly forbidden to cut pines for their needs. In 1772, a Pine revolt against the royal bans took place in the colonies. Since then, the white American pine became known as the "Tree of Freedom." What do the stars and stripes on the flag of the USA mean? After the beginning of the American Revolution, various modifications of the Continental flag were used as the unofficial state flag in different states. The first known American version of the banner appeared in 1776. The flag was nicknamed by the name of its legendary creator - seamstress Betsy Ross. According to legend, the girl was invited to a meeting dedicated to discussing the new banner. George Washington decided to save 13 lanes, and replace the fragment of the British flag with a blue field with thirteen white six-pointed stars arranged in a circle. Betsy slightly improved this option, making the stars five-pointed. Although this legend is not very plausible, it is loved by all Americans, and Betsy Ross has become a real symbol of the struggle against the British Empire. However, the flag "Betsy Ross" was not destined to become the official banner of the states. June 14, 1777 The US Congress approved a single flag design. According to the law, the banner should have 13 longitudinal strips and 13 stars arranged in rows. The authorship of the flag is attributed to lawyer Francis Hopkinson, however, this standard existed long before 1777 and was used by the US Navy. According to George Washington himself, the stripes on the flag meant independence from Great Britain. Red is the color of the British Crown, and white is the color of freedom. The stars meant the union of 13 independent colonies. Since June 14, it has become a national holiday for all Americans. However, the history of the US flag is not over. The number of stars on the banner all the time increased as new states joined the state. In total, the design of the flag was changed 26 times. The last change was made in 1960 after joining the USA Hawaii. Since then, the American flag has 50 stars. However, not so long ago, another flag version was developed - already with 51 stars. But the number of bands for all 250 years was changed only once. On the flag of 1795-1818, which was used after the accession of Vermont and Kentucky to the USA, there were 15 lanes. However, during the next modernization of the flag, two new lanes were decided to be removed.
