This post is a combination of four posts that we like to call “The American Flag Suite.” You can read each post individually by following these links: America’s First Flag, America’s First “Stars and Stripes”, The Myth and Legend of Betsy Ross, and Post Revolutionary War to Today. America’s First Flag If you ever get the … More United States of America
Since national and state flags represent a broad range of people, their designs usually incorporate very general symbolism and non-contentious history, such as the founding of a nation or the state’s most important natural resource (water, in a lot of cases). City flags are a bit different. Being that they are a microcosm of a … More Big U.S. city flags ranked
While the American flag’s foundation was laid during the American Revolutionary War, the country’s growth, vague laws, and new precedents allowed the flag to evolve along with the country. During the American Revolutionary War, the American Flag’s symbolism translated well to an attractive flag design. Thirteen states were represented by 13 stars and 13 stripes. But … More The American Flag: Post Revolutionary War to today
There are certain facts and stories about historical figures that Americans have grown up with: George Washington cutting down his father’s cherry tree, Albert Einstein flunking math, Ben Franklin flying a kite during a thunderstorm. One that I heard a lot in my youth, especially having grown up in the Philadelphia region, was that Betsy Ross … More The myth and legend of Betsy Ross
The first stars and stripes variant of the U.S. flag was approved on June 14 when the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution of 1777. However, this resolution wasn’t as big of a deal as it might have been today. One reason is that the concept of a national flag was very new during the late 18th century, and … More America’s first “Stars and Stripes”
The flag of the United States was created during a turbulent time in the country’s history. Combined with the fact that it’s meant to evolve with time, the U.S. flag has one of the most complex histories of any of the world’s flags. For this reason, we will cover the U.S. flag in several posts. If … More America’s first flag
In honor of the Wampanoag Tribe’s role in the first Thanksgiving in 1621, we are going to take a look at a selection of Native American flags from various tribes and bands. The concept of modern flags stems largely from European naval tradition, so the vast majority of Native American flags were created after Europeans had … More Native American flags: The good and the bad
South Carolina’s flag is in a league of its own, but not solely for its looks. What earned it the number one spot on my list of state flags was its combination of a clean and classic design with imagery linked to a very important event in South Carolina and American history, something no other state flag does. In … More South Carolina: Battle born
The flag of Maryland is probably the most polarizing of the U.S. state flags. Many (including myself) love the flag. The North American Vexillogical Association ranked it fourth best of all the U.S. state, territory, and Canadian providence flags and I placed it second in my own ranking of U.S. state flags. However, there are many who … More Maryland: A patchwork of reconciliation
September 11, 2001 will forever be a day remembered by the United States and the world. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93. While Americans have many painful and vivd memories of the attacks, memories of the recovery efforts are often focused on one striking image: … More The Ground Zero flag: a national mystery
Fun Flag Facts 