VISUAL ACTIVITYAmerican Flag, ca. 1781 In 1777, Congress authorized a flag with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen white stars in a field of blue, “representing a new Constellation,” a powerful metaphor that anchored the fragile union in the vast heavens. This 1781 variation—one of dozens of flag variations of the day—served as a military banner carried by soldiers in the final winning battle of the Revolutionary War.READING THE IMAGE: The eagle clutches arrows and a laurel branch in its talons. What do you think these images were meant to represent?CONNECTIONS: Early American flags marked territory: positions stormed and taken in battle, forts under U.S. control, naval ships at sea, and soon U.S. embassies abroad. Today the flag stands for love of country. Are those two meanings very different, or not? What kind of evidence could you collect to determine when the stars and stripes became an ever-present national symbol of patriotism?