red, white, and blue

IRC, the Stars 'n Stripes takes it color cues from the French tricolor.

Nope. Stars and Stripes 1776-77. French Republic Tri-color 1789.

If Old Glory's colors were inspired by any flag, it would be the Union Jack. In fact, a flag with Betsy's stripes, and the Union Jack in place of the stars, predates her flag.

Thanks, PB - I don't know what I was thinking.

It's been a long time since French class; maybe they took the color cues from the US? Sounds likely for a bunch of snivelling snooties who had to be saved in WWII: "S'il vous plait, monsieur Nazi man; would you care for some wine? Would you care for my wife?"

What does red, white, and blue on our
American Flag really stand for?

IIRC the red indicates the blood spilled by the patriots and white indicates the purity of our intent. Don't know about the blue.

IIRC, the Stars 'n Stripes takes it color cues from the French tricolor: Red - blood of patriots, white - purity, Blue - bravery/honor/valour, etc.

'Course a more modern assessment could be:
Red - bureaucratic red tape
White - a country founded by a bunch of uptight white puritans
Blue - the color of said puritans testes from lack of liberal excercise.

Feel free to burn this post.



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"I wouldn't want to join any club that would have me as a member." - Groucho Marx

mikNY, check out this link http://www.icss.com/usflag/colors.html . Basically, the colors on the flag don't officially have any meaning, but the colors on the seal do.

This is from http://www.usflag.org/colors.html

Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reporting to Congress on the Seal, stated:

"White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice."

Also this from a book about the flag published in 1977 by the House of Representatives...

"The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."


Alphagene

Oooh... beat me to it.

And Strainger's right, about the Seal having the symbolism and not the flag.

Mea culpa


Alphagene

Speaking from a position of neutrality as an Englishman, I am in no doubt whatsoever that the French copied the colours of their flag from the Union Jack. No doubt at all. :)

Don't the colors on the French flag symbolize liberty, equality and brotherhood? Don't any of you people watch Kieslowski films?