Why Is the Flag Called Old Glory?
Why is the flag called “Old Glory”? The national flag of the United States has thirteen red and white stripes and a blue square with fifty stars in the upper left corner. Another nickname for it has an obvious reason—“Stars and Stripes” for its design and it is also called the “Star Spangled Banner” for the lyric from the national anthem. One of the nation’s most recognized symbols, the flag is displayed in public buildings and many times in private ones by choice. The flag of the United States not only represents the governing body of the country, but the country’s culture and ideology and is recognized throughout the world.
So why is the flag called “Old Glory”? Legend tells us that Captain William Driver coined the term. He had been given an expertly crafted flag in the mid 1800s in Salem, Massachusetts and brought it with him as he sailed around the world. The flag was rather large at ten feet by seventeen feet and was sturdily built so it would withstand marine voyages. The name “Old Glory” refers both to his specific flag and is a nickname for the symbol of the U.S. flag.
Driver was quite impressed with this gift, which was from his mother and other women from Salem, and most accounts say that he first referred to the piece as “Old Glory” when he was leaving for a trip around the world in 1831 where he served as commander of a whaling ship known as Charles Doggett. After retiring from commanding vessels, he settled in Tennessee and continued to fly his beloved flag, updating the number of stars as more states joined the Union.
The Flag and the Civil War
However, his new home of Tennessee united with the Confederacy upon the commencement of the Civil War. Driver was aware of the cultural significance of his large, worn and historically relevant flag and took special caution to hide it from authorities and the Confederate troops with fear that it would be destroyed. He did this by having the flag sewn inside of a comforter by his neighbors.
Although there’s no record of whether any true effort was made to find the flag, the flag survived the war and was flown again at the state capitol after the end of the Civil War. This was ultimately the final time that “Old Glory” was flown from a flagpole.
As the flag flew for the final time, the Sixth Ohio Regiment was present, which was a unit from the Federal army, and they adopted “Old Glory” as their personal motto. This move made the flag and the term “Old Glory” famous throughout the United States. Driver gave the flag to his daughter, who gave it to President Warren G. Harding in 1922.
William Driver's Old Glory
William Driver’s “Old Glory” currently remains in incredibly fragile condition and is currently owned by the Smithsonian Institution after President Harding gave it to them. The Smithsonian is a museum and research complex funded by the United States Government.
The flag has been showed in Tennessee as a traditional local point of interest, although the flag’s fragility will likely prevent this from happening again. In fact, no color photograph of the flag exists and the flag is forbidden to be photographed anymore due to its condition.
Why is the flag called “Old Glory”? Because Captain William Driver received a flag he was immensely proud of and demonstrated this pride by taking the flag around the globe with him twice. After surviving this incredible voyage, the flag also survived the Civil War and was championed as a local landmark until its story permeated the culture at large and “Old Glory” became a household term for anyone proud of the flag. Driver is buried in Nashville, Tennessee and is one of the few places in the country authorized by Congress for a flag to be flown twenty-four hours a day.