Old Glory: Unfurling History

Old Glory: Unfurling History describes the histories and myths surrounding the flag of the United States of America from its revolutionary birth to the present day, and is lavishly illustrated from the archives of the Library of Congress. The Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia in the winter of 1776, received an urgent message. Please fix upon some particular colour for a flag. It was from an understandably exasperated George Washington. The Continental Armies had taken the field under a babble of emblems and devices. Even the Grand Union flag that flew over naval vessels confused the issue with its display of the crosses of the British flag in its canton. So, at Washington’s request, Congress again wrestled with the design, and on July 17, 1777, almost a year after the signing of Declaration of Independence, on the date still celebrated as Flag Day, the United States finally had a flag all its own.