A Short History of the U.S. Flag and Business


Flag at Fort SumterToday in the United States is something called “Flag Day.”

Flag Day is described as “a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation … one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon.”

Normally we fly the U.S. flag at our home on Flag Day (and many other days), but we are on vacation this week in the Carolinas. Today we visited Charleston, South Carolina, and took a boat tour of Charleston Harbor over to Fort Sumter, the site of the start of the U.S. Civil War in 1861. Because we were not at home, we did the next best thing and paid a few moments’ tribute to the American flag.

I shot this photograph of the U.S. flag flying proudly at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

As part of my tribute to the designers and makers of the flag, let me point out that according to legend (now debunked) the first U.S. flag was made by a small business person — a woman, Betsy Ross — to be exact:

“In June 1776, brave Betsy was a widow struggling to run her own upholstery business. Upholsterers in colonial America not only worked on furniture but did all manner of sewing work, which for some included making flags. According to Betsy, General Washington showed her a rough design of the flag that included a six-pointed star. Betsy, a standout with the scissors, demonstrated how to cut a five-pointed star in a single snip. Impressed, the committee entrusted Betsy with making our first flag.”

I guess then, as now, being a small business owner was an attractive story line.

2 Comments ▼

Anita Campbell Anita Campbell is the Founder, CEO and Publisher of Small Business Trends and has been following trends in small businesses since 2003. She is the owner of BizSugar, a social media site for small businesses.

2 Reactions
  1. Thanks, George. We will check out the Gullah Tour.

    And yes, I remember reading that Charleston is one of the best places to start a business. That is something to be proud of.

    Best,
    Anita

  2. Hey. I live in Charleston. Nice to hear that you’re enjoying our fair city. As you know, we are one of the best places to start a new business. 🙂 While you’re here, I’d like to suggest going on the Gullah Tour (http://www.gullahtours.com/). This will give you a taste of Charleston from an African-American perspective. Best tour in the area IMHO.