Though much symbolism has been attributed to them, the colors of the American flag have never had any kind of official imprimatur. — Library of Congress

2. The red, white and blue colors symbolize American sacrifice.

No federal law, resolution or executive order exists providing an official reason for the flag’s colors — or their meaning. The closest thing to an explanation are the words of Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress, who was instrumental in the design of the Great Seal of the United States.

Thomson’s report to Congress on June 20, 1782, the day the seal was approved, contained a description of the colors, the same as those in the flag: "White signifies purity and innocence. Red hardiness and valour and Blue ... signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice."

Various official documents and proclamations — including one by President Ronald Reagan marking 1986 as the "Year of the Flag" — have echoed that reasoning.

But the colors do not have, nor have they ever had, any official imprimatur. Historians believe that the use of red, white and blue in the Stars and Stripes has to do with the simple fact that they were the colors of the first flag of the American colonies, the Continental Colors. And there is little doubt where the red, white and blue of the Continental Colors came from: the Union Jack of the United Kingdom.

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