Whats the symbolism of the colors in the U.S. flag?
Dear Straight Dope: Can you please tell me what the meaning of each color is in the US flag? Some flags use white for fidelity, blue for valor, red for ? I am tutoring a Mexican lady so she can pass the citizenship test, and we’ve been told this is a question that could arise. I’m 55 years old, and as far as I can remember, we were NOT taught the meanings of the colors! Please help me out if you can! I need this information muy pronto! — Dorothy Simms, Amarillo, Texas Dorothy, if that question is on the test, it’s a trick question. Because the colors on the flag don’t stand for anything. Here’s the first Flag Act passed by the Continental Congress June 14, 1777: “Resolved, that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” That’s it. Nothing more. But those same colors do stand for something on the Great Seal of the United States. Here’s an excerpt from “Our
