June Homeschool History: Flag Protection Act

"The flag-protection movement regained national momentum during World War I, and on June 14, 1923, the first National Flag Conference was held in Washington, D.C., to establish a set of rules for civilian flag use. The U.S. Flag Code, first published in 1923 and adopted by Congress in 1942, is based on the belief that the American flag “represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.” It proscribes any use of the flag that could be construed as disrespectful, including using it for advertising and to decorate clothing and other goods. While the U.S. Supreme Court struck down flag-protection laws as violations of free speech in 1989, the Flag Code is still maintained as a code of etiquette, enforced not by law but by tradition....In the 1920s, when the U.S. Flag Code was created, teaching respect for the flag was considered an essential part of 'Americanization', the process of assimilating immigrants into loyal, English-speaking citizens."

Read more here at the Smithsonian National Museum of History. Link to classroom resource.