The Evolution of the American Flag as a National Icon

There’s a lot more story, art — and heart — behind the American flag than many people know. As we approach Independence Day, and as our nation continues to grapple with its history, now is a good time to look at just how the Stars and Stripes have been displayed over the years.

It’s common to see shoes adorned with the American flag today, but these moccasins may have paved the way 150 years ago.

According to the Smithsonian, “A delegation of Plains Indians gave these beaded moccasins to President Ulysses S. Grant during a 1870s peace conference in Washington, D.C. The design unites motifs and forms from both cultures as a powerful statement of hopeful coexistence.”

In 1824, Captain William Driver was given this huge American flag, which he called “Old Glory.” According to the Smithsonian, the flag accompanied Driver on his numerous voyages around the world. When he gave up seafaring and moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1837, Driver continued to display the flag proudly by hanging it from a locust tree. He updated the flag in 1861 to reflect thirty-four stars and added an anchor in the corner to indicate his sea service.

“When Tennessee seceded from the Union, Driver had the foresight to hide the flag and had his daughter conceal it inside a quilt, which was overlooked in numerous raids on his house,” the Smithsonian states. “Old Glory remained in the quilt until February 25, 1862 when Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Donelson and occupied Nashville. On that day Driver uncovered the flag, marched through the streets to the capitol building, climbed to its dome, and hoisted the flag for all to see.”

Read Next

There’s a lot more story, art — and heart — behind the American flag than many people know. As we approach Independence Day, and as our nation continues to grapple with its history, now is a good time to look at just how the Stars and Stripes have been displayed over the years.

It’s common to see shoes adorned with the American flag today, but these moccasins may have paved the way 150 years ago.

According to the Smithsonian, “A delegation of Plains Indians gave these beaded moccasins to President Ulysses S. Grant during a 1870s peace conference in Washington, D.C. The design unites motifs and forms from both cultures as a powerful statement of hopeful coexistence.”

In 1824, Captain William Driver was given this huge American flag, which he called “Old Glory.” According to the Smithsonian, the flag accompanied Driver on his numerous voyages around the world. When he gave up seafaring and moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1837, Driver continued to display the flag proudly by hanging it from a locust tree. He updated the flag in 1861 to reflect thirty-four stars and added an anchor in the corner to indicate his sea service.

“When Tennessee seceded from the Union, Driver had the foresight to hide the flag and had his daughter conceal it inside a quilt, which was overlooked in numerous raids on his house,” the Smithsonian states. “Old Glory remained in the quilt until February 25, 1862 when Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Donelson and occupied Nashville. On that day Driver uncovered the flag, marched through the streets to the capitol building, climbed to its dome, and hoisted the flag for all to see.”

Artist Ernest C. Peixotto created this ink drawing in 1897. It shows the home where the first American flag was made.

In 1863 the Louisiana Native Guards became part of the Corps d’Afrique, and in 1864 soldiers from that corps formed the 84th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops, according to the Smithsonian. The unit fought primarily in Louisiana with three other regiments of colored troops and a larger force of Union volunteers.

“This flag belonged to the 84th Infantry Regiment, United States Colored Troops. The red stripes bear the regiment’s name and number,” the Smithsonian writes. “Inscribed on the flag are Port Hudson, where the Louisiana Native Guards and the Corps d’Afrique fought before the 84th formed, as well as four battles in which the regiment took part during the Red River Campaign and an engagement in Texas at war’s end.”

This acrylic painting, from July 1969, by artist Louis S. Glanzman portrays Neil Armstrong on the moon carrying the American flag.

The Apollo 11 mission — NASA’s first attempt to land men on the moon — was a unifying moment for America in a decade rife with social discord, racial violence, and antiwar protests. Time magazine covered every facet of the nine-day mission. This painting ran on the cover of Time, in what became one of the magazine’s most popular issues.

Related posts:

Setiap dosen tentu paham bagaimana cara mengetahui jurnal predator supaya terhindar dari praktek tersebut. Keberadaan jurnal predator sudah tentu akan merugikan para dosen yang berencana melakukan…

Hooks provides you a way to manage state inside the functional component. Hooks is introduced in version 16.8. Previous to this version, if you have to manage the state of component then you have to…

Indeed the sky fools us with its miraculous colors. We all have our opinion on what the sky feels like, how it looks like. Ask a little girl about how the sky looks like and she’d reply without any…