Product Description
Introducing our Outdoor American Flags - a symbol of pride, resilience, and the spirit of freedom. Immerse yourself in the rich history and heritage of the American Flag while proudly displaying it outdoors. Crafted with precision and dedication, our flags are a testament to quality and patriotism.
History of the American Flag
The American Flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner, consists of 50 stars on a blue a field with 13 stripes of red and white. The stars represent the 50 states of the United States of America. The 13 red and white stripes represent the 13 British colonies that declared their independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Blue field, the color of the chief, signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice; the Red signifies the hardiness and valor where the White signifies purity and innocence. Old Glory was actually the nickname of a specific U.S. flag, namely, the one owned by sea captain William Driver. He was previously given the flag by the women in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, but he only named it Old Glory upon seeing it flying on his ship's mast in 1831. The name later went on to become synonymous with any American flag.
On June 14th, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution, stating “That the flag of the 13 United States be 13 stripes, alternating red and white; and the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Soon after the new flag was hoisted by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment. The first official U.S. flag flown during battle was on August 3, 1777, at Fort Schuyler (Fort Stanwix) during the Siege of Fort Stanwix. Massachusetts reinforcements brought news of the adoption by Congress of the official flag to Fort Schuyler. Soldiers cut up their shirts to make the white stripes; scarlet material to form the red was secured from red flannel petticoats of officers' wives, while material for the blue union was secured from Capt. Abraham Swartwout's blue cloth coat. A voucher is extant that Capt. Swartwout of Dutchess County was paid by Congress for his coat for the flag. From this point the origin becomes a little convoluted, with some saying the flag was originally sewn by Betsy Ross from a penciled sketch by George Washington. There isn’t much evidence to support this, either from Washington or Congress. There is also a claim that Rebecca Young sewed the first flag. The most interesting claim is that of Francis Hopkinson, a naval flag designer and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, not only did he claim to design the U.S. Flag, but he also claimed to design the flag of the U.S. Navy. He’s also the only person to have made this claim during their lifetime. Hopkinson had written a letter to Congress on May 25th, 1780. In his first letter he asked for a “Quarter Cask of the Public Wine” as a payment for the designing of the U.S. flag, amongst other governmental seals and the Continental currency. Hopkinson later sent 3 more bills to Congress asking to be paid in cash, but he did not list the U.S. Flag design in these bills. A payment was never made towards Hopkinson, because he already received a salary as a member of Congress.
The current design of the American Flag is on it’s 27th modification. The flag has been officially modified 26 times since 1777. It is the longest-used version of the U.S. flag, flying for 60 years! The 48-star flag flew for 47 years before the 49-star version became official on July 4th, 1959. The 50-star flag was designed by high school senior Bob Heft as a history project in 1958 when we only had 49 states. His teacher gave him a B-minus because it had too many stars. After discussing the grade with his teacher, it was agreed (somewhat jokingly) that if the flag was accepted by Congress, the grade would be reconsidered. On July 4, 1960, Bob Heft found himself in Washington, D.C., standing next to President Dwight Eisenhower, watching as his 50-star flag was raised for the first time over the U.S. Capitol building; it was officially adopted in July of 1960 and Heft’s teacher kept to his agreement and changed the grade to an A.
Wide Variety of Sizes
Our collection features a diverse range of sizes to meet your specific requirements. They range from 12" X 18" to 50' X 80'.
Premium Materials for Durability and Longevity
Choose from a selection of high-quality materials, each crafted to withstand the elements and maintain its vibrant colors:
- Nylon: Our Nylon fabric goes by many names; Durawavez, Endura-Nylon, Perm-Nyl, or simply Nylon. Our Heavy-Duty Commercial Grade Dupont Solarmax material with Sunscreen. The best nylon on the market with embroidered stars (appliqued above 8’ x 12’) and sewn stripes! Perfect for flying outdoors, our 200-denier fabric allows for flyability in light breezes and the durable Lock Stitching extends the flags life longer than printed or even chain stitched flags. The quick drying of nylon allows for longer color retention! Typical life of our nylon flags is between 8-10 months before tattering and fading.
- Extra Tough: Our Extra Toughs are perfect for those high wind areas where most flags will take a beating! Made using a 2-ply 100% polyester bunting; the open weave construction reduces wind resistance, increasing flag life. Each batch of fabric undergoes rigorous testing to ensure every flag has the highest tolerance to bleeding, fraying, and tearing. Our Extra Toughs have the same look and feel as a cotton flag, but with the added durability! All of our flags feature the lock stitch as opposed to chain stitching, which only adds to the strength of the polyester. Typical life of our Extra Toughs is between 10-12 months average; Eagle Mountain does advise that you take down your flag in bad weather conditions and if wind speeds reach over 30 mph.
- Ultra Tough: With the same 2-Ply Polyester bunting as our Extra-Toughs, these Ultra-Tough flags are rugged! The Ultra-Tough features a reinforced fly end giving it the longest life out of all of our flags. With the vertical zig-zag stitching and reinforced box stitching on the corners this will keep your flag from fraying quickly. The added stitching does make a heavier flag though, requiring a 12-mph wind speed to fully furl the flag. With the 2-Ply Polyester you have the same great cotton look but with the added longevity due to the reinforcements to the fly end. All of our Ultra-Toughs have sewn stripes, stitched together with a durable lock stitch. All flags under 10’ x 15’ will have embroidered stars while larger flags will feature appliqued stars.
- Cotton: These cotton flags are beautiful and decorative! Made from 2 Ply Cotton Bunting, these flags have rich and vibrant color. Flags like these are normally used decoratively indoors or will be flown during a special occasion. Eagle Mountain does not recommend flying a cotton flag outside for an extended period of time. Cotton flags tend to react adversely to weather conditions; shrinking and fading are the most notable when being flown outdoors for such a length of time. These beautiful flags have a timeless look and can turn any Flag Day grill into even more of special occasion. All of our cotton flags feature sewn stripes and embroidered stars. All of our light-weight cotton flags have a canvas header sewn to the flag with 2 brass grommets.
- RePatriot (Recycled Material): The yarn is created from PET bottles and then woven into fabric. This material is then dyed red and blue to be sewn into American and Texas flags. The feel, look and fly-ability are similar to a 200-denier nylon. However, the RePatriot Flags will outlast nylon by over 40% in their color steadfastness. In addition, the RePatriot flags strength is twice that of standard commercial nylon and will encroach on the longevity and durability of a poly flag. The RePatriot is a great replacement to the Hercules flags of the past.
- 15 bottles make a 3x5 flag
- 18 bottles make a 4x6 flag
- 24 bottles make a 5x8 flag
- 36 bottles make a 6x10 flag
All of our flags are Made in America!