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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, On April 4, 1818, during the same year that
3Illinois was granted statehood, the United States Congress
4passed the Flag Act of 1818, defining as the standard for our
5nation's flag that it shall be comprised of 13 alternating red
6and white horizontal stripes along with a field of blue
7containing 20 white stars representing the 20 states at that
8time; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Flag Act of 1818 specified that a star should
10be added to our nation's flag for each future state admitted to
11the union and that each new star should be added on the next
12Independence Day, July 4, following a state's admission to the
13union; and
 
14    WHEREAS, On December 3, 1818, President James Monroe signed
15the congressional authorization admitting Illinois into the
16union as the 21st state of the United States of America; and
 
17    WHEREAS, On July 4, 1819, the 21st star, representing
18Illinois statehood, was added to the United States flag, which
19served as the official flag until July 3, 1820 when the 22nd
20and 23rd stars were added; and
 
21    WHEREAS, On December 3, 2018, Illinois celebrated its

 

 

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1bicentennial, culminating a year-long celebration of our great
2State's 200th birthday; and
 
3    WHEREAS, July 4, 2018 will be the 200th anniversary of the
421st star being added to the flag of the United States,
5representing Illinois as the 21st state of our union; it was
6also the first star added to the flag under the Flag Act of
71818, which remains the law to this day defining how stars are
8added to the United States flag; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Any version of the United States flag which has
10previously been an official version of the flag, including the
1121-star flag following Illinois statehood, is still determined
12to be an official flag of the United States and can be used in
13any setting as an official flag of the United States;
14therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
16HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17on July 4, 2019, the bicentennial of the 21st star being added
18to the flag of the United States, we honor that flag as a
19lasting symbol of Illinois statehood; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That we encourage the citizens of Illinois to
21celebrate the 200th anniversary of the star representing
22Illinois being added to the flag of the United States by

 

 

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1remembering this historic occasion on Independence Day 2019.