Flag Day is tomorrow! But do you know the history behind it? I love reading stories where the actions of one person made a national difference over a span of years. I also want to note that this one person did not see his efforts come to full fruition, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth doing. Flag Day celebrations date back to 1885, but the official holiday was not declared until 1949. Sometimes we do not see the final outcome of seeds that we plant, but we can find joy knowing that a later generation will reap the rewards.
A timeline of the history of Flag Day:
1885—A schoolteacher in Fredonia, Wisconsin, named B. J. CiGrand arranged for his students to observe the 108th anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes. They called this “Flag Birthday.” CiGrand continued to advocate this observance in newspaper and magazine articles over the next few years.
1889—George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York.
1891—The Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration.
1893—The Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the flag on June 14. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as “Flag Day,” and on that day, schoolchildren be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small flag.
1894—The American Flag Day Association was established for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. The governor of New York authorized that on June 14 the flag be displayed on all public buildings.
1916—Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day—the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777—was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30!
1949—It was not until August 3 of this year that President Truman signed an act of Congress defining June 14 of each year as National Flag Day.
*information from usflag.org
The image below is from our Classic Cottages book and is one of my favorites. The way that the Flag stands out against the classic white exterior is just gorgeous!
