# red, white, and blue **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 1999, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740 "1999-07-01T18:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/1 "1999-07-02T05:05:00Z")
What does red, white, and blue on our American Flag really stand for? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/2 "1999-07-02T05:14:00Z")
IIRC the red indicates the blood spilled by the patriots and white indicates the purity of our intent. Don’t know about the blue. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/3 "1999-07-02T05:22:00Z")
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. * * * “I wouldn’t want to join any club that would have me as a member.” - Groucho Marx ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/4 "1999-07-02T05:23:00Z")
mikNY, check out this link [http://www.icss.com/usflag/colors.html](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. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/5 "1999-07-02T05:27:00Z")
This is from [http://www.usflag.org/colors.html](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 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/6 "1999-07-02T05:29:00Z")
Oooh… beat me to it. And Strainger’s right, about the Seal having the symbolism and not the flag. Mea culpa Alphagene ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 1999, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/7 "1999-07-01T18:12:00Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 1999, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/8 "1999-07-01T18:27:00Z")
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?” ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/9 "1999-07-02T11:09:00Z")
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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 1999, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-white-and-blue/1740/10 "1999-07-02T22:44:00Z")
Don’t the colors on the French flag symbolize liberty, equality and brotherhood? Don’t any of you people watch Kieslowski films?