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 Texas&VFW History at Bottom  History of our United States Flag No one knows with absolute certainty who designed the first stars and stripes or who made it. Congressman Francis Hopkinson seems most likely to have designed it, and few historians believe that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first one.
Until the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, neither the order of the stars nor the proportions of the flag was prescribed. Consequently, flags dating before this period sometimes show unusual arrangements of the stars and odd proportions, these features being left to the discretion of the flag maker. In general, however, straight rows of stars and proportions similar to those later adopted officially were used. The principal acts affecting the flag of the United States are the following:
On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "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."
Act of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.
Act of April 4, 1818 - provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state, signed by President Monroe.
Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 - established proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.
Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.
Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizon tally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically. | 
The Texas State Flag
On December 10, 1836, President Sam Houston approved the first national flag of the Republic of Texas. This flag, known as the "National Standard of Texas" displayed a large golden five pointed star centered on an azure ground. This flag flew over the Republic of Texas until January 25, 1839.
A bill describing the "Lone Star Flag", a flag that would become the second official flag of the Republic of Texas, was introduced on December 28, 1838 by Senator William H. Wharton. The bill was, of course, referred to committee and this committee proposed a substitute bill including the same flag design proposed by Senator Wharton. This bill was passed by the Texas Congress on January 21, 1839 and approved by Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar on January 25, 1839. This was almost six years before Texas became a member of the United States of America.
When Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845, the Lone Star Flag came along. And so it was until 1879 when the Sixteenth Legislature approved the "Revised Civil Statues of
1879." These revised statutes provided that "all civil statutes of a general nature, in force
Continue under VFW Flag |
The VFW was conceived in war, nurtured by time, and birthed by compassion. In this respect, it was similar to many earlier veterans' groups. But from its uncertain beginnings, the VFW has grown to be the largest, most powerful group of overseas veterans the world has ever known. This is no small distinction, considering the vast numbers of veterans who have banded together over the centuries. Continue Texas Flag History when the Revised Statutes take effect, and which are not included herein, or which are not hereby expressly continued in force, are hearby repealed." Since the revised statutes included no legislation concerning the flag and did not "expressly" continue in force the 1839 law, the 1839 flag law was repealed.
From the date of the repeal, September 1, 1879 until the 1933 Flag Act, Texas was without an official state flag.
The legislation adopted in 1933, was quite particular about the design and location of the lone star and the colors of the flag: blood red, azure blue and white. The colors were said to impart the "lessons of the Flag: bravery, loyalty and purity." However, no standard for "blood red" or "azure blue" existed and flags manufactured within the state varied in color and dimension. |
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