History of the American Flag

        The origin of the American flag is a mystery, but the most widely accepted theory is the flag was designed by New Jersey Congressman Francis Hopkins, then sewn by the Betsy Ross in 1777.  The flag mainly changed for the addition of a new state to the nation, so they would add a star.  According to USHistory.com time line of the American flag, in 1779, the stars of the flag became aligned in rows.  Each star on the flag represents a state, while the stripes represent the original thirteen colonies.  According to PBS's article about the American flag, the blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.  Red symbolizes hardiness and valor, and white represents purity and innocence.  The flag has become a symbol of freedom and democracy all around the globe, because it is the representation of the free world.  The names of the American flag are descriptions of the appearance of the flag, but also descriptions of the country itself.  "Old Glory" comes from the name of an extremely large, old flag that survived the Civil War after attempts to destroy it.  Star spangled banner comes from the composer of the song, Francis Scott Key, who got the inspiration from the flag at Fort McHenry, which had survived a 25 hour raid.  There is no evidence that the existence of the American flag itself is controversial.  The flag tends to be a symbol of freedom not only in America, but in other parts of the world.  Evidence of this is the constant printing of the American flag on many different objects to remind ourselves of the ideology it represents, that we are free to do as we please.