Reading Comprehension · Social Studies
Flag Day
A reading lesson about Flag Day — the birthday of the American flag — including its history and how the flag has changed over time.
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Subject
Reading Comprehension
Grade Level
Grades 3–7
Format
Lesson + Printable PDF
Access
Full Member
The Birthday of the American Flag
On June 14 of each year, the United States celebrates the birthday of its flag. The American flag was adopted by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, less than a year after the Declaration of Independence was accepted. The flag was designed to symbolize a new nation.
In 1861, Connecticut became the first state to observe Flag Day. On June 14 of that year, the stars and stripes flew in a celebration in Hartford — the first summer of the Civil War. The first national celebration of Flag Day took place on June 14, 1877, the 100th anniversary of the flag’s adoption. In 1949, Congress resolved that the 14th day of June of each year is hereby designated Flag Day. President Harry S. Truman signed that proclamation into law.
Flag Day is not a federal holiday, so banks are open and mail is delivered. The exception is the state of Pennsylvania, where Flag Day is a state holiday. However, it is traditional for people to fly flags outside their homes, and some towns have special ceremonies or parades on Flag Day.
The Design of the American Flag
No one knows for sure who designed the first American flag. The most popular legend is that George Washington drew a pencil sketch and asked Betsy Ross to sew it. Another theory is that a man named Francis Hopkinson designed the flag — he even sent a bill to Congress for his work. He was never paid, and the identity of the flag’s designer is still not certain.
The first flag consisted of thirteen stripes, alternating red and white, and a circle of thirteen stars on a blue background in the top left corner. The thirteen stripes and stars represented the thirteen original colonies, which became the first thirteen states.
As new states joined the Union, new versions of the flag were created. Stars were added to represent each new state. Today, the flag has fifty stars against the blue background — one for each of the fifty states. The stripes remain thirteen, still representing the original colonies that declared independence in 1776.
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