God Bless America

Once upon a time, our flag depicted thirteen alternating red-and-white stripes flanking a field of blue, and spangled with a constellation of thirteen white stars.

This was the first American flag.

Over the years the flag altered ever so subtly. It sported fifteen stripes and fifteen stars at one point, then changed back to thirteen stripes with a star for every state that was at that time part of the United States as a whole. For a while the stars were arranged in six horizontal lines of eight, with the points of the stars pointing up. Now, the stars are arranged in in five horizontal rows with vertical rows of six in each row, and staggered below that are four horizontal rows with vertical rows of five stars in each row, to create a sum total of fifty.

The colours used for this star-spangled banner give deeper meaning to the flag as a whole, and impart a feeling of pride and honour. The red used in the seven red stripes symbolizes hardiness and valour. The white used for the alternating six white stripes and the fifty stars symbolizes purity and innocence. The rich, deep blue used for the stars' field symbolizes vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

Red  for  hardiness  and  valour, duty done with greatest honour,

White  for  clean,  no  stain  to  start:  pure  and  innocent of heart.

Blue   that  to   justice   we'll   adhere:    vigilant     to    persevere.

On   the  field  are  fifty  stars,  flanked by  thirteen  shining  bars.

Fifty   stars  for  fifty  states,   bound   by  what  the  flag  relates.

Flanking  them, in  red and white, thirteen stripes recall  the  fight.

Freedom   won,  declared   today.  May   God   bless  the  U.S.A.!

To celebrate the day, enjoy these few videos:

1. The National Anthem, as sung by Josh Groban (who just happens to be my favourite singer EVER!!)
2. God Bless America, as sung by Josh Groban (favourite singer, remember?) AND
3. Proud to be an American, by Lee Greenwood (since I couldn't find Josh singing it. LOL)

(One last tidbit of information: The words of our National Anthem were first conceived on September 14th, 1814, when Francis Scott Keys observed the soldiers at Fort McHenry in Baltimore raise the flag to signify their victory over the British Force in the War of 1812.)

GOD BLESS AMERICA!
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!


The Declaration of Independence
History.com
History of the American Flag
US History
US Flag
Encyclopedia Smithsonian