The origin of the American flag

The American flag is also called the "Stars and Stripes". Its main part is 7 red and 6 white stripes. On the top left of the flag is a rectangular pattern with 50 white five-pointed stars on a blue background. Historically, the American flag has been changed 26 times today. The national anthem of the United States is called the Stars and Stripes, and the lyrics have been written 180 years.

1775 65438+In February, a naval officer of the Washington Continental Army raised a national flag on the ship Alfred. In the upper left corner of the flag is a reduced British "M" flag, and the rest are arranged in 13 stripes. It reflects the moderate representatives of the British North American colonies demanding autonomy within the British Empire. 1776 In June, Washington, Colonel Ross and banker Morris came to a seamstress's shop in Philadelphia. The seamstress was Colonel Ross's niece and asked her to sew a flag according to the pattern designed by painter william barrett. The upper left corner of the pattern is a blue rectangle, 13 white hexagonal stars are irregularly arranged, and the rest are 13 red and white stripes. Mrs. Ross suggested that the six-pointed star should be changed into a five-pointed star and arranged in a circle to better reflect the unity of 13 colonists in the struggle for independence. Washington adopted her opinion. Soon, the first star-spangled banner carefully sewn by Mrs. Ross was born. On June 4th, 1777, the Continental Congress approved this style of star-spangled banner as the American flag. Each stripe on the national flag and the first five-pointed star represent 13 one of the former colonial countries that just declared independence. 1795, when Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union, the US Congress passed a resolution: the original national flag was changed from 13 stripes and 13 stars to 15 stripes and 15 stars respectively. By 18 17, the new federation has 20 states. Obviously, if we continue to add a color bar and a star to each new state, it will destroy the overall layout of the original national flag. Therefore, Congress passed a new bill in 18 18, stipulating that the number of five-pointed stars on the national flag should be equal to the number of states in the United States. When 1 new states join the Union, 1 white star will be added to the national flag; However, the national flag still reverts to the red and white stripes of 13, which will not change with the increase of Suizhou, in order to commemorate the historical achievements of the first 13 state that gained American independence and keep the overall layout of the original national flag stable. By 1959, Congress approved Hawaii as the 50th state of the United States. Therefore, there are T50 white five-pointed stars in the blue rectangle in the upper left corner of the American flag, which are arranged in 9 rows in parallel, among which, there are 6 stars in a single row and 5 stars in a double row, and the flag is still 13 red and white stripes. 1In June, 1983, American President Ronald Reagan declared June 14 as "American Flag Day".

18 12, Britain, unwilling to be independent of the United States, invaded the United States again, and the United States and Britain fought again. 1865438+In August 2004, British ships shelled Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Francis key, an American lawyer who was detained on an American ship at that time, was very excited when he saw the Stars and Stripes still flying over Fort McHenry, and immediately wrote the lyrics of The Stars and Stripes. Later composers Stanford and Smith composed music for The Stars and Stripes. 18 15, the United States defeated Britain again and won the so-called "second independence". 193 1 On March 3rd, the United States Congress approved the Stars and Stripes as star-spangled banner. The lyrics are ***4 paragraphs, and the first paragraph is like this: "Oh, can you see what we are cheering through a ray of dawn? Our star-spangled banner, despite the gunfire all night, is still flying in the wind, on our bunker. Guns are shining and shells are rumbling. Are witnesses to the safety of the Stars and Stripes. You see, the Stars and Stripes are still in this free country, and the hometown of warriors is flying high. "