Getting Ready
In 1777, the Congress officially adopted the design of the American flag, directing that it would include thirteen alternating stripes of red and white as well as white stars on a blue background.

It was quite a challenge to come up with a flag for the new country. The design needed to represent all thirteen colonies, as well as symbolize the ideals of independence, liberty, and justice that the Patriots were fighting for. The design also had to be big and bold, so the Patriots could see the flag across a large battlefield and recognize friendly troops.

In addition, the flag needed to unify different groups that had their own flags, such as New Hampshire's Green Mountain Boys, the Sons of Liberty, and the Continental Rhode Island Regiment. The Grand Union Flag was flown at George Washington's headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

We don't know exactly why the Continental Congress chose the colors red, white, and blue. George Washington said that the red represented the link to the British, the white signified separation from the home country, and the stars were like a new constellation in the sky. The stars were placed in a circle so that no colony would be viewed as being more important than another. Others say that the explanation of the colors in the Great Seal of the United States, adopted by Congress in 1782, gave the real meaning: white was for purity and innocence; red for valor and hardiness; and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

Activity
Pretend that you had been asked to design a flag for Washington's troops. How will your flag represent the thirteen colonies? How will it symbolize liberty? What colors will you use and why?

Once you have finished your drawing, test how effective your flag would be on a battlefield by holding your flag design and asking a friend to walk as far away as he/she can, and still see the flag.

You might also want to keep in mind that things like fabric were in short supply during the war. What was available was needed for basics like clothing. If you want others to copy your flag, it would have to use fabrics and colors that lots of people could get and that wouldn't be too expensive. Look for scraps of cloth around your home. What kinds of colors are available for your flag?

With an adult's help, you might want to try sewing your own flag from the scraps, but be sure to ask permission before using fabric that you find to make sure that it isn't needed for something else. You might also try making a flag to represent your team, club, class, or any other group you belong to.

Think More About It
The media use lots of images meant to represent liberty and national pride. Look at ads, postcards, toys, jewelry, and clothing. See how many of these patriotic symbols you can find. Do you think that using the products you see makes you more patriotic? Why might someone want you to think it does? What does being "patriotic" mean?

Try doing a special "hunt" for images of the flag. If your hunt includes images from history, you will see that our flag has changed through the years. See if you can find out why.

Look around your community for other flags. Besides the American flag, what other kinds of flags do you see? What do they symbolize?

Words to know: patriotic, symbol, fabric, allegiance