What's the Deal with the Pledge and the B- High School Project That Gave Us the U.S. Flag Design | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The design of the current US flag was created by a high school student as a class project and was initially given a B- grade. It went on to become the official US flag design after significant efforts and changes.

Key Insights

• ✋ The current design of the US flag was created by a high school student as a class project.
• 🎏 Hefter's flag design initially received a B- grade, but it was eventually accepted as the official US flag after extensive efforts.
• 🤩 Hefter's design featured 50 stars, representing potential new states of Alaska and Hawaii.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How did Raleigh Hefter come up with the design for the US flag?

Raleigh Hefter was inspired by the Betsy Ross story and cut up a 48-star flag to create a new design with 50 stars.

Q: Why did Hefter receive a B- grade for his flag design?

Hefter's teacher initially gave him a B- grade because he had added more stars to the flag design without knowing the exact number of states in the US.

Q: How did Hefter's flag design become the official US flag?

Hefter made numerous calls and letters to the White House and eventually gained the support of Congressman Walter H. Muller. President Eisenhower called Hefter and invited him to a dedication ceremony, after which his teacher changed his grade to an A.

Q: Did Hefter create other flag designs?

Yes, Hefter also designed a 51-star flag in case Puerto Rico were to become a state. He left behind this design to be submitted if a new state is added to the Union.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The US flag design was created by a high school student, Raleigh Hefter, as a class project.

• Hefter cut up a 48-star flag and sewed together a new design with 50 stars, representing potential new states of Alaska and Hawaii.

• Despite initially receiving a B- grade, Hefter's flag design was eventually accepted as the official US flag after extensive efforts and changes.