ORIGIN OF THE AMERICAN FLAG.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 106, 8 May 1875, Page 5

ORIGIN OF THE AMERICAN FLAG.

The stars and stripes became the national flag of the United States of America by virtue of a resolution of Congress, passed June 14th, 1777, which read as follows: — "Resolved that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white ; that the Union "be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." This resolution appears in the " Journal o£ Congress," volume n., page 165. The flag seems to have been the result of the efforts made by Washington, Dr. Franklin, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Harrison, and Colonel Joseph Keed. On the 2nd of January, 1776, Washington was in the American camp at Cambridge, organizing the army which was that day created. The Committee of Conference, consisting of Franklin, Lynch, and Harrison, sent by Congress to confer with Washington on that important matter, were with him, Colonel Eeed, one of the aids-de-camp, was also Secretary of the Committee of Conference. The flag in use by the army was a plain red field, with the British union of the crosses of St. Andrew, St. George, and St. Patrick on the upper left corner. Several gentlemen of Boston sent to the American camp copies of the king's speech, which alluded to the petition of the Continental Congress in terms of contempt and severity. These were received on the date mentioned above, and the effect is described in the " British Annual Register, 1779," page 1847, thus : — " The arrival of the copy of the king's speech, with an account of the fate of the petition from the Continental Congress, is said to have excited the greatest degree of rage and indignation among them ; as a proof of which the former was publicly burned in the camp ; and they are said, on this occasion, to have changed their colors from a plain red ground, which they had hitherto used,, to a flag of thirteen stripes, as a symbol of the number and union of the colonies." The use of stripes to mark the number of States on the flag cannot be clearly traced, but may be accounted for by a custom of the camp at Cambridge. The army of citizen volunteers comprised all grades of men. Very few were uniformed. It was almost impossible for sentinels to distinguish general officers from privates. Frequently officers were stopped at the outposts and held, for identification until the arrival of the officer of the day. Orders were issued, that the different grades of officers should be distinguished by a stripe of colored ribbon worn across the breast. Washington, as Commander-in-Chief, wore a ribbon of light blue. The stars on the blue field — "anew constellation" — were suggested by the constellation Lyra, time honored as an emblem of union. The thirteen stars of the new constellation were placed as the circumference of a circle, and on a blue field, in accordance with the resolution already given. That was the flag used at Burgoyne's surrender, ' October 17th, 1777 . By a resolution of Congress, passed Jauuary 13th, 1794, to take effect May Ist, 1795, the flag was changed to fifteen stars and fifteen stripes. That was the flag of 1812. By a resolution, passed April 4th, 1818, to take effect on the following July 4th, the flag was again changed to one of thirteen stripes and twenty stars j and a new star, to represent a new State, ordered to be placed on the blue field on the 4th of July following admission of such State. The flag now carries thirty-seven.