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The U.S. flag is a strong symbol of American identity and national pride. Stars are a symbol of the heavens and the goals to which humankind aspires; stripes are symbolic of rays of light from the sun. 13 stripes represent the original thirteen colonies that declared independence from England; fifty stars symbolize the current 50 United States (see dates of statehood for all 50 states).
"Old Glory" has had a colorful history, and there are so many excellent web pages on the American flag that we cannot hope to improve on the presentation - a great place to begin is the Smithsonian's inspiring intro movie on the star spangled banner (first link below).
"The Spirit of '76" by Archibald Willard, 1836-1918
- public domain image1 on Wikipedia (originally titled "Yankee Doodle")
1 Spirit of '76 image is in the public domain in the United States (this applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1923).
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