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The Fourth of July is an important day for all Americans, regardless of where each citizen’s heritage started. Most Americans’ history started elsewhere, whether in Europe, Africa, Asia or any other continent, but everyone now relates as an American.

One of the largest indicators of how proud we are of our country is with the display of the American Flag. We hang it in government buildings, educational institutes, on our homes and numerous other places. We also have nicknames including The Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, The Red White and Blue, Star Spangled Banner and many more.

With such a love of our country and its number one symbol engrained into our minds, have you ever stepped back to find out how the current flag was established?

Take a look at the American flag and you will notice all of the trademark features:

Thirteen horizontal stripes alternate white and red.

Fifty small, white stars are in the top corner, with nine offset rows and alternating columns of five and six.

The red stripes symbolize Hardiness and Valor, white stripes symbolize Purity and Innocence and blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.

These features didn’t exist in the first U.S Flag, in fact, the colors were not even standardized until 1934! In addition, the stars were not finalized until 1960, when Hawaii was added as its own star to the American flag.

The first United States flag initially stood for the marking of American territory, more as a convenient marker than a country’s symbol. As the country began taking hold of its own territory, especially in the Revolutionary War, the symbolic meaning became ever increasing.

The first official US flag was approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, although it is not certain who designed the first US flag, it is speculated that Betsy Ross was the original designer. This first flag continued to evolve until the 1960s - July 4, 1960 to be exact.

Our Red White and Blue Flag is more than a symbol to the nation, it’s a sense of pride and history which makes it fit perfectly into July 4th and the patriotic festivities we partake in.

Parker Flags is proud to carry American flags, made in the USA for those who want a quality product and a sense of pride. Learn more about your patriotic flag this July 4th and make sure to proudly display yours. If you don’t have one yet, make sure to visit our American flags for sale to get one of your own.