★★★★★ 5
Good choice to teach kids to be well-mannered at Memorial Day.
Format: Hardcover
The book starts with the 13 colonies each with their own flag. Then it discusses the Revolutionary war and the story of Betsy Ross with the qualifier that It says no one really knows who sewed the first flag. Then it discusses Francis Scott Key and the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Then how a star is added for each state added to the union. Mentions the Civil War and raising the flag on Iwo Jima. After that it has two pages on protocol for displaying and honoring the flag, and gives the pledge of allegiance. It is a good choice to teach kids to be well-mannered at parades and Memorial Day services.
The cover art depicts a series of historical flags, not all of which are mentioned in the book which raises the question “Why?”. Starting at the back is the red Saint George’s Cross on a white field. Saint George the dragon slayer is the patron saint of England. The plain cross without the centered crown is the flag of England. This flag is shown on page 2 as the flag of one of the colonies but it doesn’t say which.
In front of that is the flag of Maryland Colony which is still used as their state flag.
Next in line is the coiled rattle snake Don’t Tread on Me flag. According to my Compton’s Encyclopedia, this originated with Esek Hopkins the first US Navy commander in chief and was used from 1776 to 1778. Colonel Christopher Gadsden presented a copy of this flag to the South Carolina legislature, so it is often referred to as the Gadsden flag but this is incorrect. The rattle snake image was used in 1775 by the minute men of Culpepper County Virginia. The image was widespread in the revolution and may have been used earlier than that. The snake is portrayed with 13 rattles, one for each colony. Rattle snakes will not initiate an attack on humans as we are too big to eat, but if stepped on they will counter attack and can be deadly. The point of the image is that the colonists did not want war, but would not tolerate abuse. (There is a rumor that this flag is connected to the slave trade, but Hopkins was from Rhode Island which was not part of the Confederacy, and I have not found any evidence to support this rumor).
Next is the flag of New England which has the Saint George cross with a Pine Tree on a blue field. This flag was used at the battle of Bunker Hill. Normally the New England flag has a red field, but blue was substituted because the red caused confusion with the British Royal Navy ensign which has a Union Jack in the top left on a red field. Naval ensigns are designed to be highly visible at distance or in the smoke of battle. The bright red field is more visible than the Union Jack alone. The Union Jack is the national flag of the United Kingdom.
Next is the Union Jack on a field of thirteen stripes. This is the first flag of the thirteen colonies. It was used in 1775 and 1776 as the flag of the continental army and navy but never officially adopted.
Next is the Betsy Ross flag, followed by the Fort McHenry flag, and the modern flag. I hope this helps.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2023
