A brief history of ‘Old Glory’

On Flag Day, June 14, 1923, representatives of over 68 organizations met in Washington for a conference, called by and conducted under the auspices of the National Americanism Commission of the American Legion, to draft an authentic code of flag etiquette for the American Flag.

The code was printed by the American Legion, and millions have been given to interested citizens since 1923-24. The 77th Congress (second session) passed Public Law 623, which is a codification of the Flag Code. Since the original flag conferences in 1923-24, the code has been adopted for use by 45 other organizations.  

The United States flag is the third oldest of the “national standards” of the world, older than the Union Jack of Britain or the Tricolor of France. Our flag was first flown on the site of Rome, New York, on August 3, 1777. Three days later it was first flown under fire in the battle of Oriskany on August 6, 1777.

The colors of the American flag are red for valor, zeal and fervency; white for hope, purity, cleanliness of life and rectitude of conduct; and blue for the color of heaven, for reverence to God, loyalty, sincerity, justice and truth. The star (which is an ancient symbol of India, Persia, and Egypt) symbolizes dominion and sovereignty, as well as lofty aspirations. The constellation of the stars in the union, one star for each state, is emblematic of our federal Constitution, which reserves to the states their individual sovereignty except as the rights delegated by them to the federal government.

The flag was first carried in battle at the Brandywine, Sept 11, 1777. It first flew over foreign territory January 28, 1778, at Nassau, Bahama Islands, Fort Nassau having been captured by the Americans in the course of the war for independence. The first foreign salute to the flag was rendered by the French Admiral LaMott Piquet, of Quiberon Bay, February 13, 1778.

In 1791, Vermont, and in 1792, Kentucky, were admitted to the union and the number of stars and stripes rose to 15 in correspondence. So, in 1818 Congress enacted that the number of stripes be reduced and restricted to 13, representing the original 13 states (colonies), while a star should be added for each new state. That law is the law of today.  

The name “Old Glory” was given to our national flag on August 10, 1831, by Captain William Driver of the brig Charles Doggett.

Our flag incarnates for all humankind the spirit of liberty and the glorious ideal of human freedom, and a unique ideal of equal opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The flag first flew over 13 states along the Atlantic seaboard with a population of 3 million people. Today it flies over 50 states from the Atlantic to the Pacific with a population of nearly 327 million.

Note: This essay was borrowed from the American Legion document “Flag of the United States” and printed at the request of Robert Boyd Stewart American Legion Post 11 of Lovell.