Why Is the American Flag Red, White and Blue?

Why Is the American Flag Red, White and Blue? Flags make a statement about a nation and the people it represents, but why is the American flag red, white and blue? Certainly, it is not the combination of colors that makes a flag dear to citizens coast to coast. Many other countries have flags that are red, white, and blue. One of the more recognizable ones includes France, one of the United State's chief allies during the Revolution. Ironically, Great Britain’s flag is also red, white, and blue, but they are the country against whom the U.S. rebelled to become free. Today, the three nations are friends and they also happen to share colors in their flags. When the Stars and Stripes is unfurled at sporting events, Americans cheer and prepare to sing the national anthem. When the flag is draped over a soldier’s coffin, Americans weep. Americans sing songs, such as The Star Spangled Banner, that talk about our flag continuing to wave even during a heated battle in the Baltimore Harbor. People look at monuments, such as the United States Marine Corps War Memorial, that depicts a moment in time during the second World War. The statue shows brave soldiers bravely putting up the flag over Iwo Jima. Most Americans even know tunes that expound on the glories of the red, white, and blue, but why is the American flag red, white, and blue? History of the American Flag The American flag, as everyone knows it minus a few dozen stars, was adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777 to be our national emblem. However, when the colors were selected, they were given no specific symbolism or representation. When the Continental Congress created the Great Seal in 1782, they explained the importance of the colors used in the Seal, which are also present in the flag. In the Great Seal, six red and seven white vertical stripes and a blue chief (top portion) decorate a shield. When the Continental Congress provided the description for those colors, they were automatically applied to the blue field and red and white stripes of the flag, though never in an official capacity. Why Is the American Flag Red White and Blue? In Old Glory, the red stripes represent hardiness and valor, while the white stripes represent purity and innocence. There are 13 horizontal stripes in all, seven red and six white, which makes the flag similar to yet different from the stripes on the shield of the Great Seal. Each stripe represents one of the original colonies (Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia). The blue field in the corner of the flag represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Inside the blue field lie the stars, one for each state of the Union. Originally, there were 13, and many variations were made to the flag as states joined the Union. Currently, there are 50 stars in the blue field representing the 46 states and four commonwealths that make up the United States of America. The stars are thought to represent the divine, which people have tried to attain for all time. While those are the official descriptions for the colors on a related emblem, other people assign variant meaning to the colors in the American flag. Some say that the red stripes represent the blood that our early soldiers shed during the war that gave us independence. The white stripes symbolize divine light in its guidance over us during the Revolution. The alternating pattern of red and white demonstrates the relationship the mortal has with the divine. The blue background represents deity, particularly God, whose name appears on America symbols elsewhere (e.g., In God We Trust). Why is the American flag red, white, and blue? We do not have an official designation, but we have been able to extrapolate meaning for the color selection both from unrelated official documents and from popular opinion.