| Show T V r V t 3 fOUR f- f i t v 1 J JOUR 1 f r j OUR FLAG On history's crimson crimson son pa pages es high UP on on th the N roll of ot tame fame II The Tha story of ot Old Glory N burns In In deathless words word of ot flame R N It Is the old red white and blue proud emblem em em- emR R y R blem Diem of ot the free tree It Is the flag naG that floats flesh above our land of lib lib- N erty sits Benjamin Sutton The Star Spangled Banner Danner Is generally gen generally orally taken for granted One seldom hears its why and where for fora called in question With WIlli its every display In 11 city and hamlet on turret tur tun ret and hall han comes a little little lit lit- littIe tle tIe discussion as to Ha its history and development It transpires that tho the American flag is like the human species a thing of evolution This is so so Indeed with tho the insignia of f most countries notably not notably ably of England whose Hag flag began with old King Egberts Egbert's dragon upon which was Incorporated the three Norman lions N hi of W William the Conqueror When Edward III aspired aspired as as- to the crown of V 1 France he added the 1 b. b fleur-de fleur fleur de Us James I. I dispensed dispensed dis dis- with both and adopted St St. Georges George's cross and finally in 1801 I the Lion and tho the Unicorn Unicorn Uni Uni- corn began their their- long fight for the the- crown which has since coot continued continued contin contin- n on canvas canvas in every latitude of the world The colonies of course lived under the British flag In 1680 1650 the flag of at New England was white charged with St. St Georges George's cross la in red surmounted with the crown In the center was inscribed Jacobus Rex Her While Manhattan wasia possession ol of the Dutch the ships waved d' d da a a. flag on which which- was a beaver the then insignia of ot the N v- v Netherlands 1707 th the colonies adopted the e Union Jack oi 01 Great Grea Britain This r is s was formed by a 8 combination of ot St Andrews Andrew's and St StGeorge's StGeorge's Georges George's crosses crossed and of course wa typical of the fact that the two co coun countries coin tries had become one when Queen n Elizabeth died and the Scottish king succeeded to the English throne At the time of ot our revolt from Brit B lt Ish authority the Union Jack was Ingen in gen genseal fat use usually bearing some patriotic motto of ot which Liberty Y and after aft aft- after Union was the tha favorite Directly er er r the the- battle of at Lexington a It new flag was improvised with the motto of tho state of Connecticut viz Qui trans trans- This soon coon gave way to regimental colors each b l i in shade At Bunker i I Hill Hlll I I Ia a a blue flag was chosen to to-desI to designate note te New New- England troops troops the the first sign Ve we s see e of union n in the colonial army This This' flag ha had St St. t. t Georges George cross in one one corner was wa's was growing beautifully less our o l-o limits and soon afterwards after wards dl disappeared when Gen Putnam Putnam Putnam Put Put- nam displayed Y d' d da a red banner on Prospect Prospect Pros Pros- p ct till the motto An Appeal to He Heaven v ven 1 The colony of a sent out cruisers In in the springy i s supplying each with a white white- fl flag g tin which was painted a green pine tree armed vessels were were- e commissioned ln in Washington they were Vere with flags of or sImilar ki kind d. d c To CoL ol William Moultrie MoultrIe- of South Carolina is due the honor of or raising the first republican flag It had a white crescent on a blue grou ground d. d This was unfurled on the east bastion of the fortress in Charleston harbor Juno 28 1775 1770 while on the opposite side waved the fia fla called the Great Union which had first been raised by Washington at Cambridge June 14 14 1777 the Continental congress congress con con- gress realizing the Inappropriateness of longer using British colors resolved that the flag of the 13 United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white that the union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new con con- The first national flag after this pattern pattern pat pat- tern was made by a Mrs 1 Ross a lady of Philadelphia She had some distinguished distinguished dis dis- men to assist her among whom were Benjamin Franklin and Gen Joseph Reed We are not informed in formed whether these men appointed by congress for the purpose used the thimble needle and thread that the lady herself employed From her general general gen gen- eral character it is probable that Mrs 1 Ross declined to let them boss the Job and proceeded in her own way The 13 stars of the flag of 1777 were arranged In a circle although there was no o officially prescribed form In 1791 after the admission of Vermont and Kentucky into the tho union It was was' resolved by congress that from and after May 1 1795 the flag nag of the United States be 15 stripes alternate red and white that the union be 15 stars stara white In a blue field No provision was made b by this act for future alterations nor were any changes made till tin 1818 although a number of new states were admitted meanwhile into the union On April 4 of at that year a bill blU embodying the suggestions of Capt Samuel G. G Reid who recommended the reduction of at the stripes to to the original 13 and the adoption of stars equal l to the number of the states formed Into one large star and a new star to be added on the Fourth of Jul July next succeeding the admission of each new state was approved ap ap- proved by President Monroe onroe and the I flag thus thua established was afterward hoisted on the hall haJJ of representatives J c |
