Annie's Flag Day Page

Flag Day is the birthday of the United States flag. It became a holiday
in New York State in 1897. In the next few years other states joined New York.
But it was not until 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson established
Flag Day by national proclamation.

"Teach America to Pray"

May our good land be true and just,
Her motto e'er "In God We Trust"
May she be guided by Thy Word,
Thy wisdom in her walls be heard.
May all who love her plead today,
Lord, teach America to Pray!

And as her flag unfurls on high
Its starry splendor to the sky,
May we, in grateful thanks to Thee
Who gave to us this land so free,
Preserve her freedom in Thy way.
Lord, teach America to Pray
~Written by Edith A. Wilsey~

The Pledge of Allegiance is a solemn promise of loyalty to the United States. It reads:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

World Book tells us that the Public-school children first recited the pledge as they saluted the flag during the National School Celebration held in 1892 to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. The original pledge was probably written by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), though some scholars believe James B. Upham (1845-1905) wrote the pledge. Both men were from Boston and worked for The Youth's Companion. The National Flag Conferences of the American Legion expanded the original wording in 1923 and 1924. In 1942, Congress made the pledge part of its code for the use of the flag. In 1954, it added the words "under God."
Visit: Annie's "Pledge of Allegiance" Page

June 14th is Flag Day!

Flag Day

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 in memory of the day in 1777 when the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. It is not an official national holiday, but the President proclaims a public Flag Day observance every year. In Pennsylvania, Flag Day is a legal holiday.

On Flag Day, people in the United States display the flag on their homes, businesses, and public buildings. Some schools honor the flag with special programs that may feature discussions of the flag's origin and meaning. Many patriotic organizations hold parades and other Flag Day demonstrations.

Flag Day was first officially observed in 1877 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the selection of the flag. Congress requested all public buildings to fly the flag on June 14 of that year. Some people suggested that Flag Day be observed each year. Early leaders of campaigns to establish Flag Day as an annual national celebration included William T. Kerr of Pittsburgh and Bernard J. Cigrand of Waubeka, Wis. In 1897, the governor of New York proclaimed a Flag Day celebration for the first time as an annual event in that state. President Woodrow Wilson established Flag Day as an annual national celebration in his proclamation issued on May 30, 1916. In 1949, President Harry S. Truman officially recognized June 14 as Flag Day by signing the National Flag Day Bill. ~From World Book Encyclopedia~

Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag.

Who designed the flag?
Betsy Ross sewed it, but who designed it? The answer, according to the experts at the Betsy Ross house, is that it was possibly designed by Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Why are the stars in a circle?
The stars were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewed above another. It is reported that George Washington said, "Let the 13 stars in a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens."

Our Flag

Our Flag is a glorious ensign,
Our Nation in epitome;
Its red...our blood,
Its stars...our world,
Its blue...our loyalty!

Now, with this liberty threatened,
We must keep faith with our Flag;
Give our best to God and our country
And never let our interest lag.
We must pledge to it new allegiance,
The Republic too, and then stand
Our Nation under God, indivisible,
With justice for all in the land.

Our Flag is far more than a bunting,
This poem, and prayer, prophecy...
Is a Nation led of Almighty God,
America, Land of the Free!

~Written by Jessie Whiteside Finks~