Since September 11th, Americans have shown a renewed interest in
our flag. The flag assumes special importance on our national
holidays, such as Memorial Day, Flag Day, and the 4th of July. A
full history of the evolution of the American flag is not known.
The flag was officially adopted by Congress on July 14th, 1777,
when Congress passed the Flag Act. The first flag was most
likely designed by Francis Hopkinson and was probably not sewn
by Betsy Ross. While the flag has kept its basic design over
time, additional stars and stripes have been added as states
joined the union. Special flags have also been designed for use
during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and each state in the
union has designed and adopted its own state flag. The original
"Star-Spangled Banner" that inspired the national anthem is
currently undergoing an extensive preservation project at the
Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The online
exhibit explains the origin of Francis Scott Key's anthem and
the reason that the orig