The American Flag

During this time in our life I feel that the subject of the United States of America’s great American Flag and its history should be looked upon in a little brighter light. So sit back and let me shed a little bit of history on our flag that flies high in the sky. Everything that we seem to be going through this day and time we should take a look at just what our American Flag means to us as Americans. Look at where we are and what we have come from. History is an important part of our lives. This is what we learn from. And then to be told that everything we believed in was a lie from the start.

I was taught in school that Christopher Columbus was a great guy and he was our hero for discovering America. Then I find out that that is only a a big fat lie. Now as I research our American Flag, I find out that this whole Betsy Ross story is just that....a story. My history is being shattered by lies. What is this country made of? Well, any way I am about to bestow upon you waht I know as the most truth that I could pull out of our history of the American Flag.

Rumor has it that they want to change the design of the United States Flag to represent the different cultures within our country. Why? Unless we have added more States to the country, then why do we need to change the design of the US flag? The US was founded on people from all over the world coming to join America because America meant something to them. America was known as, "The Melting Pot". Our flag meant one as a union. Lets stick to what we know and love as a whole.

When you look back through history, you can see that the design has pretty much been the same using the red, white, and blue. Yes more stars were added due to including more states into the US. I feel that if they change the flag, it should only be to add another state or states to the country and then of course the stars would have to change on the flag which would call for a new arrangement of the stars. But to change it to try to please other ethnical reasons would simply be absurd. The Flag represents each of us as an American. This flag represents America as a whole.

The United States Flag is designed in a unique way to represent our country. It has thirteen equal red and white stripes that alternate from top to bottom. The thirteen represents the thirteen British Colonies that declared independence from the kingdom of Great Britain and became the first thirteen states in the United States of America. While the blue rectangle in the upper left corner of the US flag represents the union. Within the blue rectangle lies fifty stars with five points to each star which represent the states that are a part of the US.

The first flag of the United States was designed by Francis Hopkinson who lived in New Jersey back in November of 1777. Francis Hopkinson was also one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence. Francis Hopkinson was a naval flag designer and Chairman of the Continental Navy Boards Middle Department. The whole Betsy Ross story that she was the first woman who sewed the first stars of the American flag is just that, a story. There is no proof that Betsy Ross was indeed the first person to design the US flag. There is no evidence found in George Washington’s papers or the history of the United States that leads to the truth of Betsy Ross.

In 1948 the 48 star flag was designed by Robert Hefts was the last person who designed our flag. He was a 15-year-old boy living in Lancaster, Ohio. The flag was a school project. Robert Hefts design was chosen out of 1,500 entries that went In front of the United States President at the time Dwight D. Eisenhower back in 1958. This flag is the second longest running flag in US history. Its design flew from 1912 – 1959. The second longest flying flag in history.

Today's flag as we know and see flying everywhere we go is the longest flying flag in history. 75 years now this flag has been flying. The only reason we change our flags design is when we accept or introduce a new state into our states. It is said that there is already a flag designed by Robert Hefts that will be used if and when we introduce a new state into our union. But if the congress has ideas of changing this flag to accommodate the growing people in this country, as I fear this rumor, it would be one of the biggest mistakes in this history. This is when our country will tumble. Our faith lies in this piece of material that has reason and purpose for it's design today and way back in history to the very beginning. We have stuck to this belief for reason.

The design of the American flag, when it is changed, is only changed on the 4th of July, Independence Day.

It is with great pride that we as Americans should know an understand the true history of our American flag and the past it holds behind it. Our flag represents who we are and who we were. To change the design to anything else would be a total disgrace to our country and the American citizens. Keep it simple people and keep it deep in truth and what it means to our country as a whole. We are Americans people. Be proud.