Old Glory is the Flag of “We the People”

Flag Day in the United States is the celebration of the birthday of the Stars and Stripes. The holiday falls on June 14th; yet for most Americans, Flag Day doesn’t really show up on their radar like the celebration of Memorial Day or Independence Day. What may be worse, is that many Americans may not even realize Flag Day exists.  If this were true, it is not likely that such citizens would take much time to even reflect on the deeper meaning of the U.S. flag. And with recent controversy, although based upon a singular, tainted perspective, over the origins of the “Star Spangled Banner,” many Americans are challenged to stand up for “Old Glory” in mixed company.

Many Americans do, however, recognize June 14th as Flag Day, the birthday of “Old Glory” on June 14, 1777. Actually, those who are challenged with limited knowledge of true American history may be surprised to learn that the birthday of the United States’ Army is also on June 14th. Yet, these historic events occurred in different phases of the rebellious colonies' fight for Independence. The Continental Congress recognized an increasing number of a rag tag group of ‘deplorables’ as an ‘army’ after they chased the more powerful British regulars back to Boston after the battles at Lexington, Concord, and several skirmishes along the road.

This recognition by the Continental Congress of the “Continental Army” came before the United States of America existed. This should not escape citizen’s notice. This official or unauthorized act of the Second Continental Congress established a powerful foundation for the future development of a new nation. The government could be described as a “provisional government of a non-existent nation. It was a dramatic “experiment,” as many of the Founding Fathers viewed it both privately and publicly. The real first U.S. government was enacted through the passage of the Articles of Confederation, the formal document that gave birth to the newly conceived “United Colonies of North America,” or what we know as: United States of America.

The army of men and boys fighting for freedom preceded the formation of this ad-hoc government. And more specifically, the birthday of the Stars and Stripes on June 14, in 1777, occurred before the Articles of Confederation, which were only later enacted on Nov. 15, 1777, five months after the flag became an entity.

In reality, when the Congress approved the articles, that act did not substantially establish the United States. They were not formally ratified by the states until 1781, the year that Washington accepted the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Even the peace treaty with Great Britain did not officially acknowledge the U.S. It was not until the peace treaty was signed by Great Britain, France and the new United States that the new government of the U.S.A. came into existence in 1783. While such chronology may seem inconsequential, it may represent a deeper significance.

Why is it important to remember the birth of the U.S. Army and the creation of Old Glory, both occurred before the birth of the nation. Both represent "We the People." The flag and the army both represent the American people and their drive toward freedom. No king was forcing the Americans to fight; their quest for freedom was what drove them to fight for their rights that they began to believe originated with God. Many felt as one: “Give me Liberty, or give me death.” It was a ”do or die” internal attitude that swept through at least one third of the British citizens in the colonies.

Consider that an army was formally established, and the War for Independence began before a formal declaration of war was proclaimed. And, an official flag was created before the nation came to be. One with any sense of curiosity would have to ask, “For what nation were these freedom fighters willing to risk their careers, their security, and their very lives?”

Recently, on Memorial Day, U.S. citizens honored those who gave their lives for their country – or sacrificed themselves to preserve freedom for others. Yet, the huge risk that the men and boys took in 1775 was not for any nation, but for the concept of living in freedom – a dream of a Land of the Free. How much more do those souls of the founding generation deserve genuine respect? Americans today, many without realizing it, face circumstances eerily similar to those that led to the birth of the United States of America – a land in which only the seeds of freedom were planted. In 1775, Americans were actually British citizens, and yet they yearned to be more than just British citizens – they yearned for the freedoms they were willing to sacrifice their lives for – the foundational freedoms most citizens enjoy today. Yet, many of these freedoms are being threatened in our day.

In 1775, the people’s own government under the powerful, yet tempered, constitutional monarchy in Great Britain demonstrated very little regard for the colonists’ thought or genuine concerns of well-being. 

There was no freedom of the press, as “political correctness” was ordained from the crown and the ruling elite. Yet, in that day, brave souls dared to defy royal authority and communicated with one another by alternate means. The politically motivated government elitists had genuine disdain, if not openly expressed hatred, toward the common colonial citizens. The laws passed by the Parliament were often one-sided, onerous, and “intolerable.”

In 2024, politically motivated government elitists (of either political party) have genuine disdain, if not openly expressed hatred, toward the common citizens. The laws passed by the Congress and the regulations under the Executive Branch - a true Administrative State are clearly favoring one side of those on the political spectrum leaning toward absolute dominion. These laws and regulations are onerous, and “intolerable.”

The actions of the crazy, idealistic, yet principled people in 1775 should be recognized by all, friend or foe of Freedom that the sacrifice of “We the People” at the birth of our nation is indeed embedded in our collective citizen DNA. Old Glory is a flag of “We the People, not of just some government that no longer represents the ideals, principles and values of the people. The flag and the army both represent the American people and their drive toward freedom. In the long historical development of humanity, this yearning and determination to secure Freedom was substantiated in the American War for Independence. The establishment of the government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” was a consequence of the fight for Freedom. Long live “We the People’s” quest for Freedom!