How to Draw the American Flag From the Revolutionary War
"Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." This is the description of the first official flag of the United Stated of America, established by the Flag Act on June 14, 1777, in the early part of the Revolutionary War. It expressed the Continental Congress' approval of what is now called the Betsy Ross flag, which was sewn, but not designed, by the Philadelphia seamstress. Legend has it that a committee headed by George Washington himself brought her the design, but she claimed to have recommended using five-pointed stars rather than six-pointed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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The Fly
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1
Use the pencil and ruler to draw a rectangle with the following proportions: hoist (left vertical edge, the part of the flag attached to the flagpole) = 1.0, upper horizontal edge = 1.9. The Flag Act did not specify the size or shape of the fly (the flag), the size of the canton, which it calls -- incorrectly -- the field, or the size and arrangement of the stars, so the current official proportions will be used.
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2
Mark 90-degree angles at all four corners with the protractor.
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3
Draw the remaining sides.
The Field
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4
Divide the hoist end and the fly end into 13 equal parts (0.0769).
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Mark the divisions by pencil dots.
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Connect these dots by light horizontal pencil lines to create 13 equal stripes. These will be colored alternately red and white, beginning at the top with a red stripe. Shading the areas to be red lightly might help avoid confusion later.
The Canton or Union
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7
In the upper left corner of the fly, measure along the top border to of 0.76 of the hoist.
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8
Mark the distance with a pencil dot.
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9
Use the ruler to draw a pencil line from this dot down to the bottom of the seventh stripe.
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10
Erase the pencil lines and any shading inside the rectangle thus formed. This is the canton, or union of the flag, to be colored blue with stars in it. The whole area outside the canton formally is called the field.
The Stars
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11
Draw light cross-hairs pencil lines that bisect the canton horizontally and vertically. Use the compass to draw a circle that fits inside the canton and is centered on the cross-hairs.
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12
Divide this circle into 13 equal parts, using the protractor. Mark the divisions with dots.
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13
Measure one of the 13 divisions, and use the compass to draw a circle of that diameter.
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14
Divide this circle into five equal parts, beginning at the center of the top (12 o'clock). Label this dot "A" and the others sequentially, proceeding clockwise, "B" through "E." Using the ruler, draw pencil lines as follows: A to C, A to D, B to D, B to E, C to E, D to B. This should give you a perfect five-pointed star.
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15
Draw a five-pointed star centered on each of the 13 dots on the circle in the canton. The stars should not touch each other. Erase all pencil lines inside the stars, as they are to be white.
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Tips & Warnings
The current standard proportions for the flag are dated Nov. 27, 1981. The colors are identified by reference to "Standard Color Cards of America," Color Association of the United States, Inc.
References
Resources
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