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The Birth of Old Glory – Pic of the Week

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The following is a guest post by Bacilio Mendez II, an intern in the Public Services Division of the Law Library of Congress.

We, the authors of the In Custodia Legis blog, would like to apologize. In all our excitement over Live Tweeting the 15th Wickersham Award Ceremony celebrating the Honorable Justice John Paul Stevens of the United States Supreme Court and William C. Burton, Esq. this past Monday, June 13, 2011 we neglected to acknowledge the passing of Flag Day on Tuesday, June 14th.

To make amends for this oversight, we offer you this representation of Betsy Ross showing off the fruits of her labor to George Washington as our Pic of the Week.

Flag Day, of course, commemorates the Second Continental Congress approving the design of a “flag of the ||thirteen|| United States,” on June 14, 1777. However, we as a country did not recognize June 14th as Flag Day until a presidential proclamation made by Woodrow Wilson was signed in 1916.

For more U.S. Flag-related media found at the Library of Congress, I suggest Sheet Music of the Week: Flag Day Edition and You’re a grand ol’ flag.

Comments (2)

  1. Dear Sir:

    The US Flag is a wonder. The colors of it and how different people react to its meaning and representation is quite intriguing. My mother’s name was Gloria, Latin meaning Glory. And with 50 stars and 7 stripes of red and white. We have upon reccommendation listed on fifth ave in manhattan a long line of large flags in front of the major retail stores, fashion and otherwise. It has now been extended to other locations and major governemnt institutions such as police princts, etc. We the people in order to form a more perfect union remain committed and continue our stand of olde glory carrying on the usa flag!!!!!

  2. Thank you to have allowed me listening this nice and old tune for the us flag day. 🙂 very interesting piece of us history, indeed.
    I agree with you Clyde, the flag of States is really great! Many people, including people abroad, appreciate not only the colors (blue, white and red) but also the design and the meaning of this:
    By the way, the Blue symbolizes honesty, devotion, the friendship, justice and the truth; the Red courage, zeal and enthusiasm, and the White color purity and uprightness.
    the 50 stars for each us province and the 13 strips for the 13 first states of the Union.
    Congratulations for ur idea, promoting the national flag in NY on the avenue 5th!

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