Always wondered
what Old Glory's Red, White and Blue symbolized?
From the book "Our Flag"
published in 1989 by the House of Representatives...
"On July 4, 1776, the
Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to
devise a seal for the United States of America. This mission, designed
to reflect the Founding Fathers' beliefs, values, and sovereignty of
the new Nation, did not become a reality until June 20, 1782. In
heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning.
Even colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white, and blue
did not have meanings for The Stars and
Stripes when it was adopted in 1777.
However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings.
Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reporting to
Congress on the Seal, stated:
"The colors of the
pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the
United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red,
hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band
above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice."
Also this from a book
about the flag published in 1977 by the House of Representatives...
"The star is a symbol of
the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time
immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from
the sun."
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