A film about the American Flag, because it was thought that i might bring a fresh vision to a familiar sight. Here in this room i began my work, that would take me back in time and place to the late fall day when i arrived in new york city. To leave one life, and come into another, creates a moment of abrupt break. Behind you is the iron curtain you have broken through. The long waits in the refugee camps, the long lines for processing, and endless paperwork. The daily disappointments. The fear is that they wont be let into their new country. And then suddenly, it is all over. You have arrived at john f. Kennedy airport. All of you is open to every sensation, and every sensation is fresh. My first thought was that i had been put down in a brilliant part of , mostly red, white, and blue. It didnt occur to me that these are the colors of my new flag. They were just brilliant, and were everywhere. On vehicles, on buildings, against the sky itself. On the clothes the people wore. On that initial day, i did what americans think is a very strange thing. I decided to walk to times square. That fivehour walk didnt harm me at all. It was like entering a hall with music swelling all about. The melody that had always been in the deepest part of me before but had never found its voice. The city itself was magically music, and fresh colors, mixed together and moving along. I was the one who is standing still. How parades where i came from had lost meeting for me long ago, now one in this land gave me a delight that often seems to fill small children. The minidress, the flags on the street sent my mind to berlin. This sense of newly shun carried over, so that every single site seemed to trigger my cartoonist mind, and suddenly i was reconstructing how our kyiv man ancestors found it necessary to group themselves under one single banner. It was a matter of pure survival. [noise] just fantasy of course. But at some time in mans evolution, Something Like this happened. A group had to band together under a common symbol to protect their common interests. One doesnt have to go too far back in real history, to find that in times of trouble, a flag becomes more than just a piece of cloth. Before the russians invaded my homeland of chess of lackey a, our flag had meant nothing for more than 20 years. Then within 48 hours, more Russian Troops were on checklist of lac ian soil then americans in vietnam at the time. To fight back was a useless gesture for such a small country. There were incidents of sabotage that were put down with bursts of gunfire. [noise] then at last, the citizens of czechoslovakia reached for the final resource left for them. A piece of cloth. The national flag. Massive resistance was called. And the once neglected flag played a tremendous role for unification in the country, kept on its knees for years by a world superpower. Why is it you must first see your blood soaked into the flag before the meaning of the flag in turn soaks into you . Now here i am in america, seeing all flags of all lands in a different light, with fresh eyes. With new eyes, not unlike the eyes of these children. Or in a sense, both of us, refugee and young child, or newcomers to this world. The color is blue, white and red. That xerox had a sewing machine. This is betsy ross electric sewing machine and shes sewing for George Washington the First American flag. He was only a soldier and then became a president. George washington gave her a plan how she should make it, the First American flag. The stars were not in a row, they were only in a circle. George washington lived in washington betsy ross lived in philadelphia, but she was his friend. She had seven children. Betsy ross is sitting because when she is sowing, she cant stand, her legs would hurt. George washington has again because he was only a soldier. Even small children can use to learn can learn to use the animators camera. And when they film their drawings, frame by frame, their own liveliness makes the pictures grow before our eyes. This is George Washingtons flag made by betsy ross. This is George Washingtons cherry tree. This is an American Flag. This is a boy scout when bad weather comes, then you should take the American Flag down. Thats a rule about American Flag. When you see a parade marching with American Flag, you have to take the hat off your head. American flags should not be pasted on cars, they should be flying freely on and antenna. Why are the stars in a circle . Because many states came to america because it was the last day of the old American Flag. The first flag and the American British colonies was the english flag of st. George. It arrived with john cap it in 14 87. Objections began almost immediately, but the first real flag protest would not be until 1637. It was in that year that part of the cross was cut off, saying because it was a gift from the pope, it was a symbol of the anti christ. For his actions, he was planned for one year. As the American Revolution grew more heated, new banners of independence began to appear. The rattlesnake and the pine tree was the most common symbols. As late as 1775, no one had given much thought to devising colors by which colonial warships could recognize each other. Two floating batteries were marked with the green tree flag. But the making of flags for forts and ships was generally left to Army Contractors as a project to play with in their spare time. To mark the formation of the Continental Army under general washington, a flag was raised on prospect aisle in massachusetts. But actually, the flag was the mayflower flag of britain, proof that the colonists still saw themselves at as british citizens even as they fought british troops. It was the same grand union which flew from ships of the Continental Navy when they sailed from philadelphia three days later. The same flag again was raised over the fort of Manhattan Island even after the declaration of independence had been signed. With no possibility of reconciliation with the mother country no longer existed. But as hostilities increased, the old flag, symbolic of england, became a banner to be cast off by revolutionaries fighting for independence in a land they declared their own. In 1777, Young Congress formally told the world, the flag of the United States shall be 13 stripes alternate red and white with a union of 13 stars of white on a blue field, representing a new constellation. As the legend tells us, on the day congress laid down guidelines to the new flag, John Paul Jones was named commander of the newly built ship, ranger. So snug inside the harbor, the sales were set to rise, the french gave the first salute, our flag was recognized. John paul jones be hardy, his life that for the ranger went down in history. John paul jones the flag and his ship that never went down. But last, the permanent design of the American Flag seemed set. But then, a new problem arose which the congress in 1777 had not foreseen. Vermont and kentucky were added to the 13 states. The old flag no longer worked. After all a debate broke out of which should be done to keep the American Flag up to date. Within 15 years, there might be as many as 20 states and the banner itself would become a streamer that would go on and on. That last, under pressure to get on to more important business, the whole problem was postponed as the house voted that the flag of the United States should be 15 stripes with a union of 15 stars. And its earliest years, the stars and stripes rose up over a few merchant vessels. Most americans did not even see it. Then, as now, the world was dominated by superpowers. The u. S. Was not one of them. It was just a fledgling nation, not strong at all. The two big powers were england and france. As they struggled for supremacy over all of the seas, america and her ships were caught in the middle. So as the 19th century dawned, america found herself engaged in yet another struggle to boost or preserve her rights for independence. It was during the fall of 1812 that Francis Scott key wrote, the starspangled banner. With the war of 1812 over, an era of peace was born. And in 1818, the patent for the proper flag was set. 13 horizontal red and white stripes, with a white star for every state, old and yet to come, to be set upon a blue field. From the day it first appeared, the stars and stripes have gone through 27 different changes. Once, as southerners attempted to break away, the flag itself was split into. So, i find myself in a new homeland, under a flag that has strengthened its people across two centuries in times of Enormous Growth and change, and in times of trouble which have saddened the entire world. We this is today, as it always has been, a land of many peoples all with one banner, each to worship in his own way, to aspire to Self Expression in his own way. To achieve for himself, his children and his country in his own way. With this as the goal for all newcomers, and their children after them, the stars and stripes of the United States has emerged as a symbol of hope and strength for people everywhere. My hope for people in czechoslovakia is that one day their flag will fly as bravely and as proudly as the flag of the United States. Every saturday at 8 pm eastern on American History tv next on American History tv. Our historian, judy sco