Interested in the history of the 1800 American flag? Find out about the important changes that the American flag went through in the 1800’s…
The history of the American flag goes a long way back. Over the years the American flag has gone through a series of significant changes. Many of the most significant changes to the American flag happened during the 1800’s.
American flag during early 1800’s
The first formal flag developed in the 1800’s was after Francis Scott Key wrote the star spangled banner. The flag featured 20 stars along with thirteen stripes. While the constellation of the stars has changed, the thirteen stars remain the same till date. The year after Illinois hoisted the American flag with 21 stars. This was followed up by a 23 star American flag developed by Alabama in 1820. This was the first ever flag to be hoisted up on Pikes Peak.
Two years later Missouri came out with a 24 star version of the flag. Then followed a relatively longer gap until the next version of the flag was released in 1836. This time it was Arkansas that developed a 25 star American flag. The very next year Michigan added another star to the flag.
By 1845 the American flag had 27 stars in Florida. Yet another star was added in Texas the next year. The next two years saw one star each added by Iowa and Wisconsin. California, Minnesota, Oregon and Kansas made their additions in the following few years. President Lincoln actually forbade removing any star from the constellation even after the South had seceded from the Union.
American Flag late 1800’s
The first confederate flag featuring the stars and bars was adopted in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1860’s. The trend continued until the American flag had 38 stars in total. The first ever postage stamp featuring the American flag was developed in 1869. Year by year the stars kept on adding until there were a total of 45 stars by 1896.
American Flag Protection Act
In the following year the State Flag Desecration Statutes was adopted by the Congress. The American flag had been subject to a series of political and social misuse during the 1800’s. This gave rise to a flag protection movement within the governing party. However the bill was unable to gain an effective majority and was never officially legislated. Nonetheless a number of states including South Dakota, Pennsylvania and Illinois adopted the flag desecration statutes. By 1932 all states across the country adopted the law.
Under this law it was illegal to make any markings on the flag for political, commercial and other purposes. It was also prohibited to use the flag in any form of advertising. Public mutilation, defacing, defying, defiling, tramping or casting contempt on the flag was not allowed. The act also outlined the definition of flag with respects the various sizes and forms in which it may be available to the public so that it got full protection from any kind of violation.
