America’s founding fathers left their descendants with little guidance on what the nation’s flag means.
Their resolution from June 14, 1777 , was surprisingly sparse for what would become one of the country’s most enduring symbols. At just 32 words, it did not explain why red, white and blue were chosen or what the stripes meant.
In the centuries since, the American flag has been draped across the casket of presidents and veterans, spread across the field of Super Bowls, waved by children in Fourth of July parades, burned in a protest outside a political convention and hung upside down at the home of a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
In the vacuum of prescribed meaning, Americans have imbued the flag with their own: sacrifice, freedom, patriotism, nationalism, pride, disappointment and hope. The flag reflects how Americans feel about their country, its past and its future.
Amid a polarizing election year and before the Fourth of July, several Americans shared what the American flag means to them.