In honor of Flag Day today, the Washington Postlists five of the most common myths about the national symbol:
Betsy Ross made the first one: You’re probably sitting there shaking your head and saying, “Yes, she did!” but there’s no credible historical evidence. The story, which didn’t spring into being until 1870—a century after the first flag was made—is almost certainly a myth. Ross did, however, make American flags.
You can’t burn it: Flag-burning was illegal until 1989, when the Supreme Court found that burning the flag is actually protected as a form of symbolic speech. Though Congress later passed the Flag Protection Act in response, that law was also overturned in 1990.
You can wear it: Sure, you can burn the flag, but the US Flag Code doesn't want you using Old Glory "for advertising purposes." But, though it is part of the law of the land, the Flag Code is not actually enforceable.
The red, white and blue colors symbolize American sacrifice: No federal law, resolution or executive order exists providing an official reason for the flag’s colors — or their meaning. The closest thing to an explanation are the words of Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress: “White signifies purity and innocence. Red hardiness and valour and Blue . . . signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.”
The Pledge of Allegiance has long been recited in Congress and other governmental bodies: The pledge was written by magazine editor Francis Bellamy in 1892 for a nationwide public school celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing. In 1898, during the Spanish American War, New York became the first state to mandate that public school students recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each school day. Many states followed suit, and the pledge remained a staple of the daily routine in many schools until 1988, when it became an issue in the presidential campaign.