1 Public schools, parks, businesses, and front lawns are just a few of the places where people see the American flag proudly displayed. Americans have grown up admiring the flag. It is an important part of American culture.
2 The flag was first adopted in 1777. On June 14, Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the American flag. The first flag looked very different from today’s version. The first flag had only thirteen stars and thirteen stripes. People first planned on adding one stripe and one star for each new state. This idea was rethought after the flag had fifteen of each. It returned to the original design. Eventually it was decided that the flag would keep its thirteen stripes, but a star would be used to represent each state. This is why our current flag has thirteen stripes and fifty stars.
3 The colors on the American flag are important too. The color red on the flag symbolizes courage. Innocence is shown by the white. The blue on the flag represents justice.
4 On June 14, 1885, the first Flag Day was observed. Four years later in 1894, New York’s governor decided that the flag should be displayed in all public buildings. There have been many presidents to celebrate the flag in different ways. In 1949, President Truman made Flag Day a national holiday that would be celebrated on June 14th each year.
5 Flags are not simply thrown in the trash when they are broken or no longer wanted. Instead, a flag should be burned. This process is used to show the respect that is shown for the American flag. Flags should not be allowed to remain dirty or soiled; when they become dirty or soiled, they should be cleaned.
