Why is the American flag red, white and blue?
On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress resolved that “the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” June 14 was later recognized as Flag Day in 1949.
According to the 1880 History of the Flag of the United States of America by George Henry Preble, a story in the New York Inquirer described the symbolism of the new flag: red as “telling of the blood shed by them for their country; the blue, of the heavens and their protection; and the stars, of the separate States embodied in one nationality.”
In his 1853 book, The History of the National Flag, Schuyler Hamilton noted that the flag’s colors matched the army’s uniforms at the time, while flag expert Mike Buss told Time in 2013 that the colors likely link to England’s Union Jack flag. “They come from the three colors that the Founding Fathers had served under or had been exposed to,” he said.
Meanwhile, USA.gov states that red stands for valor and bravery, white for purity and innocence and blue for vigilance, perseverance and justice.
Why are those colors so popular?
Ted Kaye from the North American Vexillological Association tells TODAY that, historically, red, white and blue were not only symbolic but also practical. “White could be created by bleaching fabric, and red and blue dyes were durable, unlike black, which fades quickly,” he says.
What are some symbols associated with red, white and blue flags in different countries?
Since the French Revolution, France’s tricolor flag has been equal parts blue, white and red. Blue and red representing Paris and white symbolizing the king, according to the French Embassy.
Russia’s flag, adopted in 1991, features equal horizontal stripes of white, blue and red, with white representing Russian citizens, blue symbolizing the honesty and faithfulness of the people and red standing for the people’s love and courage, World Atlas notes.
The Australian national flag, designed in 1901, combines the Union Jack (the country was a British settlement), a white Commonwealth Star, five white stars making up the Southern Cross. Blue represents the surrounding sea.
Nepal’s flag, used since 1743, is unique for being the only non-rectangular national flag. Instead, it features two red pennons, or triangles. According to CNN, red symbolizes both bravery and the country’s national flower, the rhododendron. The white shapes signify the moon and sun, and blue serves as the border.
What was the first country to use a red, white and blue flag?
The first version of the U.K.’s Union Jack dates to 1606—with the current design in place since 1801. According to royal.uk, it joins the red cross of St. George (England’s patron saint), the white cross of St. Andrew (Scotland’s patron saint) against a blue background and the red cross of St. Patrick (Ireland’s patron saint).
Some cite the Dutch flag as the oldest red, white and blue flag. However, while the flag’s history traces back to 1572, according to the Royal House of the Netherlands, the horizontal tricolor bands were originally orange, white and blue. Red—easier to see on ships at sea—replaced orange in 1937.
