U. S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
2004
http://usinfo.state.gov/At the time the Constitution was
written, the nation consisted
of 13 states, symbolized by the
13 stars in the nation’s first
flag (top). During subsequent
decades, a new star was added
to the flag for each new state
admitted to the Union, so that
today the flag contains 50 stars
for the 48 contiguous states
plus Alaska and Hawaii. The 13
alternating red and white stripes,
symbolizing the original states,
have remained unchanged.
J.W. PELTASON, editor of the
introduction and explanatory notes
for this publication, is Professor of
Political Science Emeritus, University
of California, Irvine, as well as
President Emeritus, University
of California. He is co-author of
the books Understanding the
Constitution and Government by the
People.
Art Director: Min-Chih Yao
Picture Editor: George P. Miller
Picture Research: Linda Christenson,
Bernard Reilly
Managing Editor: Mildred Sola Neely
CREDITS:
Cover, Min-Chih Yao;
Credits from left to right are
separated by semicolons, from top to
bottom by dashes.
Page 3: Library of Congress — Henry
Francis Dupont, The Winterthur
Museum. 4: Library of Congress;
5: © 2004 American Numismatic
Association — Courtesy The
Winterthur Museum;
6: National Portrait Gallery,
Smithsonian Institution/Art
Resource, NY;7: The National Archives — Library
of Congress — The American
Revolution: A Picture Source Book,
Dover Publications, 1975 (2);
8: Mead Art Museum, Amherst
College, Bequest of Herbert L. Pratt
(Class of 1895);
9: The American Revolution:
A Picture Source Book, Dover
Publications, 1975 (2), middle,
Library of Congress;
10: Library of Congress;
11: Library of Congress — Collection
of The New-York Historical Society;
12: Rare Book and Manuscript
Library, Columbia University
— Courtesy American Antiquarian
Society;
13: National Portrait Gallery,
Smithsonian Institution/Art
Resource, NY;
14: Courtesy Gunston Hall; 15,16,17:
Library of Congress (4);
18: Library of Congress — The
John Carter Brown Library at Brown
University;
32: The National Archives;
44: Library of Congress —The
National Archives (4).