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Flag Day

The first American flag was called the Grand Union. It was made in

Pennsylvania by Betsy Ross and flown for the first time on January 1, 1776 at the

headquarters of the Continental Army. It has been claimed that George

Washington said of the flag

―

We take the stars from heaven, the red from our

mother country, separate it by white in stripes, thus showing that we have

separated from her.

‖

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as a

replacement for the Grand Union flag. On this flag the 13 stars represented the 13

new states. It wasn

‘

t until 1877 during centennial celebrations that government

buildings everywhere flew the flag. Individual states subsequently proclaimed

June 14 as Flag Day beginning with Pennsylvania in 1893 and New York in 1897.

It was not until August, 1949 that June 14 became officially recognized by

Presidential Proclamation. President Harry S. Truman encouraged all Americans

in the country to display the Stars and Stripes outside their homes and

businesses. Since then the President proclaims the commemoration yearly.

The corkscrew knife depicting the American Flag was produced in Solingen,

Germany and imported by the New York firm A. Kastor & Bros.