Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright starts, through the perilous fight, Over the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in the air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave Over the land of the free and the home of the brave? 戦場の夕暮れ、歓呼して見た城壁の向こうに 勇ましく翻る星条旗を、夜明けになってもまだ見る ことができた。大砲が眩しい光を放ち、爆弾が空気を 裂く激しい戦線の中、星条旗は、砦が未だに イギリス軍によって征服されていない証として、 翻っていた。自由の地、勇者たちの故郷に星条旗は 今も翻っているであろうか。

1931年、「The Star Spangled Banner」（ザ・スター・スパングルド・バナー／星条旗）は、議会を通り、ハーバート・フーバー大統領　（ルーズベルト大統領の前任）の承認でアメリカの正式国歌として認められました。詩は、1841年に弁護士兼詩人のフランシス・スコット・キー氏によって書かれました。氏は、1812年のメリーランド州ボルチモアで起こった、イギリスによる夜通しのアメリカ砦砲撃時の様子を詩にしました。作曲者は不明。キー氏がボルチモアの戦場で見た実物の星条旗は、現在、ワシントンD．C．にあるスミソニアン博物館に保管されています。また、氏実筆のオリジナル歌詞はボルチモアの博物館に保管されています。

What do the red, white, and blue of the flag represent?

The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose the colors. However, in 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and listed their meaning as follows: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. According to legend, George Washington interpreted the elements of the flag this way: the stars were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors, and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. However, there is no official designation or meaning for the colors of the flag.

Who designed the flag?

Betsy Ross sewed it, but who designed it? The answer, according to the experts at the Betsy Ross house, is that it was possibly designed by Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Why are the stars in a circle?

The stars were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewed above another. It is reported that George Washington said, "Let the 13 stars in a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens."

Why would Betsy Ross be chosen to make the flag?

It was usual in that day for upholsterers to be flagmakers. As Betsy Ross prayed in the pew next to George Washington and was a niece of George Ross, it is not hard to believe that these members of the Flag Committee formed by the Continental Congress would call upon Betsy Ross to make the flag.

Why is the flag called "Old Glory"?

In 1831, Captain William Driver, a shipmaster from Salem, Massachusetts, left on one of his many world voyages. Friends presented him with a flag of 24 stars. As the banner opened to the ocean breeze, he exclaimed, "Old Glory." He kept his flag for many years, protecting it during the Civil War, until it was flown over the Tennessee capital. His "Old Glory" became a nickname for all American flags.

What is a vexillologist?

A vexillologist is an expert on flags and ensigns. A vexillum (plural vexilla) is a military standard or flag used by ancient Roman troops.