Today the flag consists of 13 horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with six white. The stripes represent the original 13 Colonies and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union.
What does 13 stripes mean on the American flag?
There are 50 stars representing the 50 states and there are 13 stripes representing the 13 original colonies.
Can you fly a casket flag?
May a person, other than a veteran, have his or her casket draped with the flag of the United States? Yes. Although this honor is usually reserved for veterans or highly regarded state and national figures, the Flag Code does not prohibit this use.
What color is the red on the American flag?
However, Charles Thompson, secretary of the Continental Congress, gave specific meaning to the colors represented in the United States Great Seal. Charles Thompson noted these representations: White stripes represent “purity and innocence.” Red stands for “hardiness and valor.”
Why are there 52 stars on the American flag?
USA has had 50 states since 1959. The District of Columbia is a federal district, not a state. Many lists include DC and Puerto Rico, which makes for 52 “states and other jurisdictions”. … The flag has 50 stars, one for each state.
Does the United States have two flags?
Since the founding of the United States in 1776, there have been 27 different versions of the flag featuring the stars and stripes. Each new flag represented the addition of one or more states as the United States grew westward to fulfill what it believed to be its manifest destiny of expansion in North America.
What states do the 13 stripes represent?
Thirteen Stripes
The 13 Stripes on the American flag represent the 13 original colonies/states of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Does the American flag stand for freedom?
The American flag has stood as a symbol of freedom and justice for over 225 years. … The Stars and Stripes embodies the very qualities that make our nation great: liberty, justice, freedom, love of country and national purpose.
How many states are in the United States 50 or 52?
There are fifty (50) states and Washington D.C.The last two states to join the Union were Alaska (49th) and Hawaii (50th). Both joined in 1959.
Why Do Hawaiians fly the flag upside down?
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) – At the protest on Mauna Kea and at rallies across the state, Thirty Meter Telescope opponents have waved a Hawaiian flag ― that’s upside down. … The inverted flag is an internationally recognized symbol of a nation in distress and a sign of protest to the American government.
Why is flag folded in triangle?
The flag gets folded into a triangle because it is actually meant to resemble a tri-cornered hat, like the ones worn by George Washington and other soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. … By the end of the folding, the flag’s red and white stripes should no longer be visible.
What does it mean when a flag is flown upside down?
A signal of distress. For hundreds of years, inverted flags have been harnessed as a signal of distress. … The United States Flag Code expresses the idea concisely, stating that a flag should never be flown upside-down, “except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”
Can the Texas flag fly at the same height as the US flag?
A lot of Texans at a young age learn the Texas state flag is allowed to fly at the same height as the U.S. flag because we were once an independent nation, the Republic of Texas. … According to the code, if the flags are on the same pole, the U.S. flag must be on top, even in the Lone Star state.
What does a black American flag stand for?
In general, black flags are used by enemy forces to signify that no quarter will be given. What that means is that, during war, enemy combatants are going to be killed rather than taken prisoner.
What is disrespectful to the US flag?
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. … The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.
How many stars are on a flag?
Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777, stated, “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.”
What are the 52 states in America?
Alphabetical List of 50 States
- Alabama. Alaska. Arizona. Arkansas. California. Colorado. Connecticut. Delaware. …
- Indiana. Iowa. Kansas. Kentucky. Louisiana. Maine. Maryland. Massachusetts. …
- Nebraska. Nevada. New Hampshire. New Jersey. New Mexico. New York. North Carolina. …
- Rhode Island. South Carolina. South Dakota. Tennessee. Texas. Utah. Vermont.
What does a solid red American flag mean?
A red flag is a flag that is red in color and is used as a symbol to represent communism and socialism or to indicate danger or as a sign that you should stop. … If you refer to something as a red flag, you mean that it acts as a danger signal.
What does the flag on top of the White House mean?
The U.S. flag that is displayed on the rooftop flagpole on top the White House is often lowered to half-staff on the direction of the U.S. president in order to commemorate a certain occasion or object, such as a person or persons important to the United States who had recently died (such as prominent political figures …
Who gets a 21 gun salute at a funeral?
Today, the U.S. military fires a 21-gun salute in honor of a national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the president, ex-presidents and president-elect of the United States.