TOPEKA, Kan. — Modern Flag Day, observed on June 14, may have left Betsy Ross perplexed if she could witness how it is honored today.
Betsy Ross, often credited with creating the first national U.S. flag upon the request of George Washington, symbolizes a legacy that has evolved significantly since her time.
During Ross’ era, flags served practical purposes such as marking ships and guiding soldiers amid the chaos of battle, rather than the emotional icon they represent today.
The fervent admiration that many Americans hold for the U.S. flag, referred to as Old Glory, can be traced back to the Civil War.
During this period, the Union army elevated the role of flag bearers to a prestigious honor, leading to extraordinary acts of bravery to keep the flag flying in the tumult of war.
The initial observances of Flag Day emerged in local communities following the Civil War, eventually culminating in a federal designation of June 14 as Flag Day in 1949.
This proclamation was made under the administration of Harry Truman, a World War I combat veteran, who recognized the flag as a symbol of freedom and a shield against tyranny.
The resonance Americans have with their flag is deeply emotional, akin to the attachment some nations feel toward a beloved monarch or a national religion.
Charles Spain, the director of the Flag Research Center in Houston, emphasized the tangible connection people feel to the flag, describing it as an ‘alive’ entity moved by the wind when displayed on a pole.
The significance of Flag Day aligns with the anniversary of the Continental Congress’s approval of the national flag design in 1777, which established the now-familiar 13 stripes representing the original colonies along with a blue field adorned with white stars.
While early records indicated these stars represented ‘a new constellation,’ a law enacted in 1818 mandated one star for each state.
National celebrations for Flag Day began even before Truman’s law, with President Woodrow Wilson proclaiming the day in 1916, years after communities initiated their own local festivities.
The first recorded observance took place in 1885 in Waubeka, Wisconsin, where Bernard Cigrand, a 19-year-old teacher, sparked the tradition by having students write essays about the flag’s significance.
Cigrand’s advocacy for a national holiday continued for decades, even as he pursued a career as a dentist in the Chicago area.
At the historic Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, director Lisa Acker Moulder noted that Ross’ collaboration with Washington was the pivotal moment in her narrative, highlighting that the U.S. flag wasn’t as revered before the Civil War as it is today.
Throughout the Civil War, the role of flag-bearers proved vital on the battlefield.
Flag bearers became primary targets for the enemy, requiring them to hold their ground without the ability to fight back, which created a significant honor in their duty, according to Ted Kaye, secretary of the North American association for flag scholars, known as vexillologists.
Both Union and Confederate propaganda promoted the notion that carrying a flag was a privilege bestowed upon the most honorable soldiers, embedding this belief into military culture.
One notable Michigan cavalry regiment’s red flag captured the sentiment of the era with the declaration, ‘Fear Not Death — Fear Dishonor.’
This cultural reverence surrounding battle flags extended naturally to the national flag, as soldiers displayed remarkable courage under fire to protect it, with numerous flag bearers sacrificing their lives in battle.
Matt VanAcker, who oversees a decades-long flag preservation project at Michigan’s Capitol, remarked on the historical significance of these flags that bear the scars of battle.
Michigan’s collection of approximately 240 aging battle flags features physical evidence of their use on the battlefield, including bullet holes and blood stains.
“Many of the flags in our collection are covered with bullet holes,” VanAcker stated, emphasizing their status as a tangible connection to the soldiers who fought to keep the flags—and their ideals—alive.
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