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What the flag means to americans
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The American Flag
After July 4th, 1776, the people of the colonies felt the need of a national flag to symbolize their new spirit of unity and independence. On the afternoon
of June 14th,1777, Congress passed a resolution that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes. Alternate the red and white, that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field.”
The stars in our flag represent the fifty states. No one star represents any
particular state. The stripes in the flag stand for the thirteen original colonies. The stripes were probably adopted from the flag of the Sons of Liberty. It had five red and four white stripes.
On our American flag, the white signifies purity and innocence. The red color means hardiness and bravery. Blue expresses courage, vigilance (alertness), perseverance (never giving up), and justice.
The American flag has produced different reactions in people. Here are some people’s opinions; President Woodrow Wilson expressed in 1917. “This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thoughts and purpose as a nations.” John Lindsey, former New York
City mayor, once said, “The flag stands for the right to believe what you want and speak as you must. Its design conveys its real meaning. There wouldn’t be individual stars and individual stripes if we were all suppose to think the same.”
Former Senator Robert Winthrop said, “So when you see the flag, I just hope you remember the blood, sweat, and tears that men have gone through to keep our country free.”
In the 1976 revision of the flag code by Congress, the symbolism of the United States Flag is considered to be a living symbol representing a living country. The flag represents the many freedoms, rights and responsibilities not entrusted to the citizens of any other country in the world.
To veterans throughout American history, the Stars and Stripes have served as a symbol of their service, and as a continuing testimony that the service was worthwhile. During a military funeral, the flag draping the casket embraces the service man or woman who devoted their life.
In conclusion, flags are the most important symbols that nations have. The flag’s meaning is in the mind of those who look at it. People love it or hate it, fight for it or tear it to shreds.
In 1776 the United States of America became a great nation, free from Britain's rule. We became a nation full of freedom and opportunity, symbolized by many great icons. The Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, this great nations capitol, the District of Columbia, and the greatest of these icons, our American Flag. Our flag symbolizes to the world our strength, determination, and the rights and freedoms of our people. The very sight of it has given men the courage and willingness to sacrifice their own lives in order to protect what it symbolizes. But where did it come from? For more than a century it has been disputed by historians that the story of Betsy Ross, a widow from Philadelphia could be given the honor of handcrafting the first American Flag. So is it fact or a delightful fable that has weaved its way in as part of our American history?
In Johnny Cash’s song, The Ragged Old Flag it says, “In her own good land here she’s been abused. She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.” To me this means that people have stopped honoring all that it stands for. The flag stands for all of the battles and sacrifices the United States has had to make to get it to where it is today. People
For more than 200 years, the American flag has been a big part of the United States. Betsy Ross had been the first, reportedly, to make the American flag. It originally had thirteen stars, representing the first thirteen colonies, but later it ended up with fifty to represent the states in the Union. It is a symbol of our
The colors red, white and blue did not have any real significance in America until their rights for freedom and territory were challenged. "The American flag played no significant role in American life until the Civil War, during the fight at Fort Sumter" (Goldstein 1). Then, to all northerners it became a symbol of pride and an object of "public adoration" (1). The flag was held in such high esteem that the Flag Protection Movement was created in 1890 so that there would be no commercialism of the object(2). The FPM felt as though politicians and merchants were "prostituting" the flag so, in 1900 they joined with the American Flag Association and made a set...
To the Majority Opinion it’s a flag of our nation but to the Dissenting opinion its means more than just a flag. It means “White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & velour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice." In this case the Dissenting opinion gave reasons why flag burning should be banned. Eventually Congress passed the Flag Protection Act of 1989. The Act banned flag burning regardless of whether the person burning the flag intended to cause offense to
...o captivating. Additionally, it does make an extensive number of appearances at various ceremonies and great events, such as the opening ceremonies of sporting events and national holidays such as Independence and Memorial Day. However, “The Star Spangled Banner” embodies a much broader and more abstruse, cryptic connotation. It illustrates America’s attitude of perseverance when facing seemingly indomitable adversities or unachievable ambitions. It represents America’s unfaltering faith, traditional values, and ethical laws that have come to characterize America’s individuality. It signifies America’s past, a historic reminder that unites the people and instills, in their hearts, a profound sense of patriotism and glory. Most of all, “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes the truth of what America truly means–“the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
Another view of the American flag is the colors red, white, and blue. Some Americans see the color red as blood for all the blood shed on the battlegrounds. Another color white for victory or triumph in our great nation of America. Lastly, the color blue for the sadness or sorrow felt because of the lives lost in war.
The flag of the United States symbolizes our nation and more.The colors of the flag were not just chosen randomly, but with meanings behind it. The specific colors wanted to be able to symbolize our country with powerful words behind it. The separate colors must be able to unite everyone as one. The flag should represent the nation, so there should
For those who want to light Old Glory on fire, stomp all over it, or spit on it to make some sort of "statement," I say let them do it. But under one condition: they MUST get permission from three sponsors. First, you need permission of a war veteran. Perhaps a Marine who fought at Iwo Jima? The American flag was raised over Mount Surabachi upon the bodies of thousands of dead buddies. Each night spent on Iwo meant half of everyone you knew would be dead tomorrow, a coin flip away from a bloody end upon a patch of sand your mother couldn't find on a map.
First I would like to include some information about our american flag and how it came about. In the British colonies of North America before the Revolution, each of the 13 colonies had its flag. On Jan. 2, 1776, the first flag of the United States was raised at Cambridge, Mass., by George Washington. Known as the Grand Union flag, it consisted of 13 stripes, alternate red and white, with a blue canton bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. Congress, on June 14, 1777, enacted a resolution “that the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” On Jan. 13, 1794, Vermont and Kentucky having been admitted to the Union, Congress added a stripe and a star for each state. Congress in 1818 enacted that the 13 stripes, denoting the 13 original colonies, be restored and a star added to the blue canton for each state after its admission to the Union. All of the states and territories of the United States also have their own flags. Betsy Ross created the first flag. Betsy would often tell her children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends of the fateful day when three members of a secret committee from the Continental Congress came to call upon her. Those representatives, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, asked her to sew the first flag. This meeting occurred in her home some time late in May 1776. George Washington was then the head of the Continen...
The Confederate flag was used symbolically during the Civil War. For Southerner’s, the flag represented a source of southern pride as well as a way of remembering the fallen Confederates. As the Civil War proceeded, the meaning of the flag began to change. Currently, the flag is being used as a symbol of racism. Due to this change in meaning, controversy over the flag has been exponentially growing.
In a 1943 landmark Supreme Court case, Justice Robert H. Jackson wrote, "The freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much" (qtd. in Jacoby el al. 20). This concept can be applied in the debate on whether to amend the Constitution to ban flag burning. When one considers the Constitution and the symbolic meaning of the United States flag, he or she can see that this is one issue that does mean a great deal to the American public. The freedom to differ is of extreme importance in this case, which can be seen as one reviews the reasoning for committing such an act and what it might mean beyond the desecration of a revered national symbol.
...nishing desecration of the flag dilutes the very freedom that makes this emblem so revered, and worth revering."
I believe that the flag is a symbol of death. When we look to the flag we think of our country and the people that lost their lives in the war, fighting for our freedom. In the poem line 93, reads, "I guess it must be the flag of my disposition..." meaning that the flag is a symbol of giving his life or the transferring of his being ...
What does the American flag represent? The flag represents the country, and what the american people stand for. What is the origin of the flag, what does it symbolize, what are the rules and codes of the flag, what are the parts of the flag, and how has it changed over the years? It is a symbol of hope, and of perseverance.