Flag of Washington, D.C. in the context of Statehood movement in the District of Columbia

⭐ Core Definition: Flag of Washington, D.C.

The flag of Washington, D.C., consists of three red stars above two red bars on a white background. It is an armorial banner based on the coat of arms granted to Lawrence Washington (George Washington's 3rd great-grandfather) of Sulgrave Manor Northamptonshire, England, in 1592. This coat of arms was used privately by the president in his home at Mount Vernon. In heraldry, the stars are called mullets and the coat of arms is blazoned as argent two bars gules, in chief three mullets of the second.

In 1938, the District Flag Commission was created by an Act of Congress "to procure a design for a distinctive flag for the District of Columbia". The District Flag Commission was composed of three non-elected federally-appointed members: the president of the Board of Commissioners, the secretary of war and the secretary of the Navy. The flag was selected by the commission with the help of the Commission of Fine Arts. Since no local group was involved in the selection process, Washingtonians saw the flag as a symbol of their lack of representation. More recently, it has been embraced by most DC residents and businesses, as well as the DC Statehood Movement as a symbol of their local identity in the 21st century.

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⭐ Core Definition: Flag of Washington, D.C.
Flag of Washington, D.C. in the context of District of Columbia statehood movement
Flag of Washington, D.C. in the context of D.C. statehood movement
Flag of Washington, D.C. in the context of Coat of arms of the Washington family

Flag of Washington, D.C. in the context of District of Columbia statehood movement

The District of Columbia, the capital city and federal district of the United States, has been the subject of political movements that advocate making it a U.S. state, to provide the city's residents with voting representation in the Congress and complete control over local affairs.

Since its establishment by the "District Clause" in Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the United States Constitution, the District of Columbia has been a federal district under the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the United States Congress. It is currently debated whether the District of Columbia could be made a state by an act of Congress or whether it would require a constitutional amendment. Alternative proposals to statehood include the retrocession of the District of Columbia and voting rights reforms. If the District of Columbia were to become a U.S. state, it would be the 51st state overall, and first to be admitted to the union since 1959.

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Flag of Washington, D.C. in the context of D.C. statehood movement

The District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States, has been the subject of political movements that advocate making it a U.S. state, to provide the district's residents with voting representation in the Congress and complete control over local affairs.

View the full Wikipedia page for D.C. statehood movement

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Flag of Washington, D.C. in the context of Coat of arms of the Washington family

The first coat of arms of a member of the Washington family is first documented in the 14th century, borne by one of the male Washington family members of Washington Old Hall in County Durham, England.

The design (three red stars over two horizontal red bars on a white field) has been used since 1938 as the basis for the coat of arms and flag of the District of Columbia. It is also found on the Purple Heart, a US medal for wounded soldiers.

View the full Wikipedia page for Coat of arms of the Washington family

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