Shenandoah County Library Archives

Shenandoah County Library Digital Archives

Story of Our Flag

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Dublin Core

Title

Story of Our Flag

Subject

Flags--United States--History
Flags--United States
Lichliter Family

Description

Sometime during the First World War this story was written about the United States flag. Though the story is undated, its reference to troops going “over the top” in France indicates it was composed during that conflict. Most likely it was produced by a member of the Lichliter family who lived in Strasburg Virginia.

During the first part of the 20th century many American were worried about a lack of patriotism among citizens. The transition to a new industrialized economy, migration of individuals to the city, the introduction of new forms of media such as magazines, and mass produced paperbacks, and the birth of new ideologies such as socialism caused many to believe the American way of life was disappearing. This concern would continue before, during, and after World War One as the world’s political climate changed dramatically.

To combat this perceived decline, patriotism was introduced into the classroom. Founding tales such as George Washington and the cherry tree and Betsy Ross and the National Flag became part of the educational curriculum. This story was most likely a part of that effort and includes many of these stories.

The language used also indicates the fears of those who felt patriotism was dying were largely unfounded since whoever the author was indicated they still had a strong feeling of “reverence and love for our flag.”

Source

Lichliter Collection

Publisher

Shenandoah County Library

Date

ca. 1917-1918

Rights

Not to be republished without permission.

Citation

“Story of Our Flag,” Shenandoah County Library Archives, accessed November 24, 2024, https://archives.countylib.org/items/show/5953.

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