East Central Reporter

The United States flag is celebrated each year on Flag Day, June 14, to commemorate the day the official flag act resolution was adopted in 1777. The Second Continental Congress adopted this resolution on June 14, 1777, which stated that the official American Flag should have thirteen stripes, alternating between red and white, thirteen stars to represent the states in the union, and a blue field to represent this new constellation.

Before the resolution was adopted during the American Revolutionary War, some of the colonies were fighting under different flags rather than being united under one flag. In June of 1775, the “Grand Union Flag” was informally adopted and used as the “first” official American flag until the adoption of the flag act resolution in 1777. This flag contained the Flag of Great Britain in the left-hand corner with thirteen vertical stripes alternating between red and white.

Before Flag Day was an official holiday, different states took up varying ways to show their appreciation for the American flag. The first celebration dates back to 1861 in Hartford, Connecticut when a resident, Victor Morris urged members of his community to celebrate the 84th anniversary of adopting the flag act resolution.

In 1885, Wisconsin native and teacher B.J. Cigrand shared Morris's passion and challenged his students to write an essay about what the American flag meant to them. Following Wisconsin’s footsteps in 1889, another educator George Balch from New York City also established a Flag Day project. His project became so popular that New York state adopted it and circulated it to schools statewide.

After hearing about ceremonies memorializing Flag Day, a Philadelphia historian joined in commemorating June 14 as Flag Day and assembled a gathering at town square in 1893 where students sang patriotic songs and waved small American Flags. The largest of these gatherings took place in Chicago in 1894 when the American Flag Association organized the first public school Flag Day celebration drawing over 300,000 student participants.

After years of informal celebrations, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation in 1916 naming June 14 as Flag Day. However, it wasn't until President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress in 1949 that June 14 was officially designated as a national holiday to honor Flag Day.

To date, Pennsylvania is the only state that marks June 14 as a state holiday by closing government offices; all other states conduct business as usual. Annually, the president of the United States observes this holiday by delivering an address discussing the history of the American flag—a tradition started by President Woodrow Wilson. Many towns and cities across America continue holding events to commemorate this holiday.