Story of Our Flag, The (1939)

the flag of the United States of America your flag and mine is symbolic of a living country and the government of by and for the people the history of our still young and growing Nation it is that in this troubled World there is still a bright spot where borders never change where peace the United States of America has become a nation second to none in wealth and influence in greatness and in power our founding fathers sought words to describe the future nation and the flag which typifies it in the famous Preamble to the Constitution the words we the people signify the chain of unity which now Wells our vast Empire of 48 separate states King James I 6 United these two early English Flags the cross of St Andrews and the cross of St George into one emblem this new flag became the famous Union Jack or King's colors onto which were made the first settlements in the new world during the reign of James v 6 there were many other forerunners of the Stars and Stripes first the Union Jack or King's color then the meteor red enen flag the Taunton flag was the meteor flag bearing the word Liberty the Bedford flag used it conquered on April 19th 1775 this is the mtry flag a crescent in a blue field bearing the word Liberty The Bunker Hill flag one of the pine tree Flags the pine tree flag used by the Continental Navy the famous rattlesnake flag with the warning don't tread on me the Rhode Island flag the earliest use of 13 stars in a blue field and the Cambridge or Grand Union Flag the alternate Stripes indicated A dissension from the king's rule but the Union Jack also indicated a feeling of loyalty to the mother country a definite break had not yet been made when General Washington heard that the Declaration of Independence had been signed he ordered the Grand Union flag flown for this occasion Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes effect fact simil of the original resolution passed by the Continental Congress June 14th 1777 adopting the flag of the United States this resolution was proposed by John Adams later a president of the United States a significant part of this resolution is the words 13 stars quite in a blue field representing a new constellation it is in these words that we find the very Soul and Spirit of the American flag this resolution of adoption did not prescribe how the stars were to be arranged as a result in the beginning they were arranged in a circle to symbolize the hope that the union would be without end the Stars and Stripes was the flag of the states which was carried through the battles of the Revolution and which inspired our soldiers in their long fight for freedom the surrender of corn Wallace of Yorktown this marked the beginning of the United States as a free Nation the Stars and Stripes had won its first significant Victory it could now take its place among the flags of the world in 1791 and 92 Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the union the representatives of these two states wanted recognition in the flag so on January 13th 1794 Congress enacted a law giving the US the flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes [Music] this was the flag of the United States for more than 20 years until [Music] 1818 183 the Louisiana Purchase marked the start of our nation's Westward growth beyond the Mississippi nearly a million square miles purchased from France for $15 million or 4 cents an acre this territory later added 13 stars to the flag 1818 the union had increased to 20 States Ohio Indiana Tennessee Mississippi and Louisiana were given recognition in an Act passed by Congress this act returned the number of Stripes to the original 13 and decreed that thereafter a star should be added to the blue field for each new state admitted the essence of the Act was every Star a state every state a star as early as 1832 the idea of a railroad line spanning the nation was conceived at that time there were only 140 miles of track in the entire country building Westward 1849 the discovery of gold in California this exciting news spread rapidly and soon started vast Caravans of pioneers westward in search of wealth and adventure these were truly the Empire [Music] Builder I Alabama [Music] with 1862 Congress had approved the plan for a railroad line from Omaha to San Francisco the construction of this line was marked with many hardships the Indians quickly realized that the railroad was a pathway by which land hungry settlers would soon be arriving it would end their Happy Hunting Ground they attacked the construction Crews at various points along the line naturally it became necessary for organized Force to maintain constant vigilance to stop these attacks and protect the crws so the work might progress in an orderly fashion at long last these Empire Builders had made it possible to cross the country by rail the continent was linked from coast to coast the westward sweep of Empire carried with it a wave of new States more stars for the flag by 1912 our nation consisted of 46 States then Arizona and New Mexico added their two stars to give us our present 48 [Music] states the parade of the states and stars was now complete [Music] on May 30th 1916 President Wilson established June 14th of each year as Flag Day the culmination of more than a quarter of century of effort to engender interest in the observance of Flag [Music] Day 150 years of progress the small constellation of stars representing states which started east of the Mississippi has been joined by a galaxy of stars in the west forming a complete constellation whose Brilliance is reflected around the entire world the of the bra and the shine of and today from 13 struggling colonies the vast American Empire extends from the Virgin Islands on the East and the Panama Canal Zone on the south to Alaska on the North and Westward across the Pacific to the Philippines friendly relations exist with the Dominion of Canada still under the Union Jack of England nowhere else in the world is there 3,000 M of border which needs no fortifications or soldiers to guard it it is necessary only as a matter of precaution for us to maintain a powerful Navy Army and Air Force for the protection of our people and the prized possessions Beyond the Sea the eyes of the world are on the United States of America today we as a nation must exhibit to the world the proud fact that a government founded on the Priceless Liberties guaranteed by our Constitution which came into being more than 150 years ago is still a splendid example for all other Nations to [Music] [Music] follow all hail the flag of the United States of America a