Every year, June 14th is recognized as Flag Day in the United States. While the date is not a federal holiday, it is a time to celebrate the adoption of the first American flag. In a few weeks, on July 4, the country will celebrate its Independence. There will be picnics, parties, parades, and fireworks, and the United States flag will be included in many of those celebrations. Now is a good time to think about the flag’s history, proper flag etiquette, and how to retire a flag when one becomes unserviceable.
Did Betsy Ross really make America’s first flag? The answer to this question raises some controversy. It has been stated that George Washington and a secret committee asked Betsy Ross to design and create our nation’s first flag in June of 1776. While Betsy was agreeable to creating the flag, she didn’t like the proposed six-pointed star (Galloway, 2006). Betsy thought the six-pointed star would take too long to cut, so changed it to a five-pointed star (Who, 2015).
Some historians don’t believe there is concrete evidence to support that Ms. Ross is the designer of the first flag. They claim there is no congressional record of a secret flag committee, no resolution for a flag until June 1777, and George Washington’s letters don’t mention Betsy Ross. However, they have also found that Betsy Ross was likely the best flag maker candidate at the time, and there isn’t another story explaining the origin of the five-pointed star (Galloway, 2006).
Historians and vexillologists (individuals who study flags) believe Francis Hopkinson was most likely the designer of our country’s first flag. Hopkinson was a Naval Board chairman and codesigned the Great Seal. While Hopkinson may have designed the flag, there has never been a claim made that he ever sewed a flag.
Some of Betsy’s family members are certain she made the first American flag. John B. Harker, a fifth-generation descendent of Ross, presents several sources in his book Betsy Ross’s Five Pointed Star that support their claim (Galloway, 2006). According to information in the May/June 2015 Scholastic News, Betsy told her family she made the first flag. From there, her grandson shared the claim and made the legend famous.
While we may never know who designed or sewed the first American flag, it is important to know the flag’s history, its meaning, and how to treat it with respect. I encourage readers to use the links below to learn more on each of these topics.
Resources:
A Proclamation on Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2024
The Evolution Of U.S. Flags
The American flag and other national symbols
Flag Day & Flag Etiquette
American Flag Facts, Etiquette and History
How To Fold An American Flag
Unserviceable Flags Ceremony
How to Properly Dispose of Worn-Out U.S. Flags
Resources Available for Flag Day
Important Dates:
| June 14, 1777 | The design for the first United States flag is approved |
| 1861 | George Morris is said to have organized the first formal Flag Day celebration in Harvard, Connecticut |
| 1885 | Wisconsin schoolteacher, Bernard J. Cigrand urged his students to celebrate “Flag Birthday” on June 14. Later, through a Chicago newspaper, Bernard requested that Americans proclaim the date as one to celebrate the flag |
| 1888 | William T. Kerr founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania |
| 1916 | June 14 is declared the official date for Flag Day by President Woodrow Wilson |
| 1949 | US Congress officially recognized June 14 as National Flag Day |
References
Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Flag Day. Britannica Library. Retrieved June 14, 2024, from https://library.eb.com/levels/referencecenter/article/Flag-Day/438698
Galloway, L. (2006). The Signs Still Point to Ross. U.S. News & World Report, 141(6), 59.
Who Made Our First Flag? (2015). Scholastic News – Edition 2, 71(8), 1–4.
ND State Library Blog 