The History of the American Flag

Old Glory

The red, white, and blue American flag have been an icon of the US for a very long time. When and where the idea of the flag was first formed is unknown but some historians believe the design came from Francis Hopkinson and sewn by Betsy Ross 1. The flag was changed many times up until 1960 to better represent each state of the US. The 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies and the 50 stars represent each state. The colors: red, white, and blue represent hardiness/valor, purity/innocence, and vigilance/justice, respectively 2. The nickname "Old Glory" was given by a sea captain William Driver. The Star-spangled Banner is partly responsible for making the flag into a famously known symbol about the values and history in the US. Thanks to the song, the flag is very well respected as it represents freedom and the prevalence of the US soldiers in the Battle of Baltimore 3.