SHARING SOME SPARKLING AMERICAN HISTORY WITH YOUR CHILDREN
The 4th of July is
coming up and what a perfect time to share a few “sparklers” of information regarding
America’s history with your children.
How did America get started? – Sparkler 1
A ship called the Mayflower
sailed from Plymouth, England in 1620. The travelers aboard were sailing for
the New World called America. Many of them were seeking religious freedom and
some wanted a new chance in life. They landed and the Native Americans helped
them survive the first winter. As more and more people came, thirteen colonies
were formed. These colonies were ruled by the British Empire. They fought the
British for their independence and won. In Philadelphia in 1776, the Second
Continental Congress declared the independence of the colonies as the United
States. Wow!Our baby nation was born.
How we got our flag –Sparkler 2
A lady named Betsy Ross was a
really good seamstress. She and her husband owned an upholstery shop in
Philadelphia. One day, President George Washington and a committee came to see
her and asked her to make a flag for our new nation. Our country had thirteen
colonies, which really weren’t large enough to become states yet.
It was decided that our flag
would be made of 13 stripes, one to represent each of our colonies. They
started with red and ended with red. Pres. Washington thought if they started
with white and ended with white, it would get dirty. They chose a field of blue
and added 13 stars; again, one for each of the colonies. The blue rectangle was
added to the first 7 stripes and the stars were put in a circle. Then, the rest
of the stripes were added. The colors chosen represent the ideas our country was founded on. Red was chosen for courage, white for purity, and blue for justice.
So how did we get 50 stars on our
current flag? Well, as our nation grew and a new state was formed, they added
another star. We now have 50 United States so we have 50 stars.
How we got our Pledge of Allegiance—Sparkler 3
The pledge to our flag was
composed in August 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a former Baptist minister. The
original pledge has been changed at different times throughout our history. In
1942, congress adopted the pledge and directed we should place our right hand
over our heart when we say it. President Dwight D. Eisenhower supported a bill
that added the words, “under God” to our pledge. Congress passed the bill in
1954.
How to display our flag---Sparkler 4
We are to respect and honor our
flag.
Many have died defending our flag
and what it represents.
When displaying our flag--
It must not ever touch the ground
or the floor.
You may display the flag from
sunrise to sunset.
You may only display it at night
if it is well lite.
The flag must not be displayed on
a day when the weather is inclement.
There, you have it, some very basic information that will teach your children to respect our flag. Have a wonderful 4th this year! Until next time. . . Janet
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