Flag Acts (United States)
Encyclopedia
The Flag Acts are three laws which sought to define the design of the flag of the United States
. Each is remarkably short, the shortest being a sentence of 32 words, and the longest being a title and two sentences of 117 words.
on June 14, 1777, in response to a petition made by an American Indian nation on June 3 for "an American Flag." (As a result, June 14 is now celebrated as Flag Day
in the United States
.) It reads, in its entirety: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." (See Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774 – 1789, 8:464.)
on January 13, 1794. It changed the design of the flag to accommodate the admission into the Union of the states of Vermont
and Kentucky
. It provided for fifteen stripes as well as fifteen stars. This would be the only official flag of the United States not to have thirteen stripes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, That from and after the first day of May, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, the flag of the United States, be fifteen stripes alternate red and white. That the Union be fifteen stars, white in a blue field.
.
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
. Each is remarkably short, the shortest being a sentence of 32 words, and the longest being a title and two sentences of 117 words.
Flag Act of 1777
The Flag Act of 1777 was passed by the Second Continental CongressSecond Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
on June 14, 1777, in response to a petition made by an American Indian nation on June 3 for "an American Flag." (As a result, June 14 is now celebrated as Flag Day
Flag Day
A flag day is a flag-related holiday—either a day designated for flying a certain flag , or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.) It reads, in its entirety: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." (See Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774 – 1789, 8:464.)
Flag Act of 1794
The Flag Act of 1794 (1 Stat. 341) was signed into law by President George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
on January 13, 1794. It changed the design of the flag to accommodate the admission into the Union of the states of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. It provided for fifteen stripes as well as fifteen stars. This would be the only official flag of the United States not to have thirteen stripes.
Text
An Act making an alteration in the Flag of the United States.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, That from and after the first day of May, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, the flag of the United States, be fifteen stripes alternate red and white. That the Union be fifteen stars, white in a blue field.
Flag Act of 1818
The Flag Act of 1818 was enacted by congress on April 4, 1818. It provided for the modern rule of having thirteen stripes to represent the original thirteen colonies and having the number of stars match the number of states. It also provided that subsequent changes in the number of stars be made on July 4, Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
.
Text
- An Act to establish the flag of the United States.
- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress Assembled, That from and after the fourth day of July next, the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be twenty stars, white in a blue field.
- And be it further enacted, That on the admission of every new state into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag; and that such addition shall take effect of the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission.