History Lessons

When Liberty Bell went west, flags welcomed it

Liberty Bell float at the exposition.

Think of Philadelphia, and you think of the Liberty Bell. Think of the Liberty Bell, and you think of an immovable object. But not always. The normally sedentary icon of the United States went on a coast-to-coast tour 100 years ago, and American flags welcomed it everywhere it went. One of its destinations was thousands… continue

History Lessons

A Guide to American War and Military Memorials

An American flag is raised over ruins of Shuri Castle

Throughout human history, wars have been fought over many different types of circumstances. Some cultures have commemorated their victories with monuments or other types of permanent structures. In many cases, the monuments or memorials serve to pay homage to the lives lost in the service of the military branch or country that fought in the… continue

History Lessons

Windy City flutters many flags

Chicago's city flag. (Chicago Public Library)

Chicago is known as the Windy City, and its unique history of flags – from a poet who was intensely interested in them to a football stadium that honors veterans – has given those breezes plenty of cloth to play with. The poet, Wallace Rice, was born in 1860, the year another Illinois resident, Abraham… continue

Flag Information

An American Flag Timeline

The United States flag has changed 63 times over the past 235 years. As the original thirteen colonies established their presence in America, they started to develop new designs that would represent their loyalty and unity. The modern American flag has evolved to symbolize freedom, justice, and prosperity. Most modern Americans would not recognize some of the… continue

History Lessons

How Wright and Whistler flew and drew flags

Wright flies around flag on Statue of Liberty island in 1909. (Library of Congress)

Wilbur Wright, the 20th-century co-inventor of the airplane, and James McNeill Whistler, the 19th-century painter, seem unlikely candidates to have a connection to flags. But, if you have sharp vision, you can see that they do. WRIGHT’S DARING FLIGHT On October 4, 1909, Wright took off from Governor’s Island in the Hudson River near Manhattan…. continue