On July 23, 1885, Ulysses S. Grant died in a small cottage atop Mount McGregor in upstate New York. He had gone there to complete his memoirs as cancer ravaged him. He succeeded, just as he had in winning the Civil War two decades earlier. In both victories, American flags played major roles. When word… continue
Last week’s article focused on how, 125 years ago, Wyoming and Idaho became states. That changed the American flag, but what are their state flags like? Do they have interesting capital city flags as well? IDAHO The state flag of Idaho uses the words “State of Idaho” twice. That’s because it’s made up of the… continue
In July 1890, 125 years ago, two territories – Wyoming and Idaho – joined the Union and earned the right to have stars added to the American flag to signify their new statehood. But it didn’t happen without some glitches involving a national law and a national holiday, and one of the states came up… continue
A century ago, in its annual report about its many efforts to promote patriotism, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) listed a “Flag Alphabet Acrostic.” It used the 26 letters of the alphabet to teach about the American flag and flag etiquette. The DAR has been committed to promoting the American flag since its… continue
The Fourth of July is right around the corner. On Independence Day, people across the country will be firing up their grills and lining up their hamburgers and hot dogs. After these fun-filled barbecues, families, neighbors and towns will wait for evening to fall so that they can head for the nearest fireworks display. The… continue