March into Spring Break with family-friendly activities for all ages at the Museum. Info & Tickets

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On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the flag of the United States, agreeing that “the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Though the number of stars and the pattern of that constellation have been altered through the years, their meaning has not changed. In fact, most flags that exist today are designed to signify something about the place or people that they represent. Often these can be a shared history, culture, or religion, which people express through their choices in flag colors and shapes.

If you were creating a flag to represent where you live, what would it look like? Download our printable PDF worksheet and instructions below to learn what some of the symbols mean and then create a flag of your own.

Share your finished flag with the Museum @amrevmuseum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Explore more Revolutionary-era flags, including the Monmouth Flag and the Forster Flag, throughout the Museum's galleries any time with our free Virtual Museum Tour.

Flag Day Weekend with the Museum, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance, includes an interview with textile conservator Virginia Whelan on the conversation and symbols in Revolutionary-era flags as well as a live flag-making demonstration and discussion of the Monmouth and Forster flag's messages and meanings with the Museum's Gallery Interpretation Manager Tyler Putman.
Plus, learn more about whether the American flag was a symbol of unity or dissent at its Revolutionary origins.

Learn More

Image 091120 General George Washington Standard Flag Collection Washington Headquarters Flag 72
 

Washington's Headquarters Flag

Believed to be the earliest surviving 13-star American flag, Washington's Standard marked his presence throughout the war.
See Object
Image 120320 Collections Astronaut John Glenns Revolutionary War Flag
 

Astronaut John Glenn’s Revolutionary War Flag

Astronaut John Glenn carried this reproduction of General George Washington’s Headquarters Flag into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998.
See Object
Image 032020 3600x2403px Ee 9833 85
 

For Kids & Families

Inspire the next generation of revolutionaries with hands-on activities, crafts, books, digital experiences, and more.
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