Flag Day is June 14. On this day Americans show their love for the flag as a symbol of liberty.
The first “Stars and Stripes” was made in 1777 for General George Washington. There was one
star and one stripe for each of the first 13 states. Later, when a new state joined the union, a new
star was added to the flag.
Today the flag has 13 red and white stripes. There are 50 white stars on a field of blue.
Our national anthem is “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It is a song about the American flag. Francis
Scott Key wrote the words during a battle in a war with Britain – The War of 1812.
British ships sailed into Chesapeake Bay. They were trying to capture Fort McHenry, near the city
of Baltimore, Maryland. Francis Scott Key was on a ship watching the terrible battle.
The shooting went on all night. The lights from the explosions were very bright. The light let a person
see the American flag flying over Fort McHenry. That meant that the Americans had not lost the battle.
