Americana

On July 4, 1957, the US Post Office issued its first stamp with the US flag as the central element.  It was also the first stamp printed by the Giori press, which allowed the design to be printed in its natural colors in one step.

Noted artist and illustrator James Montgomery Flagg was born on June 18, 1877, in Pelham Manor, New York.  He painted dozens of memorable posters, book covers, magazine covers, and more, with the most notable being his interpretation of Uncle Sam.

On April 4, 1818, President James Monroe signed a flag act that changed the way the US flag was updated when new states joined the Union.  This act has affected every US flag issued since… 

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry addressed the Second Virginia Convention to convince them to raise a militia.  During his rousing speech, he delivered one of his most famous statements…

On September 29, 1841, New York held the first state fair in the US. Today it’s the oldest and one of the most highly attended of all US state fairs.

On September 24, 1966, the US Post Office introduced the American Folklore Series.  The series captured the things that make our nation unique.  It honored some of the people and tales that have played an important role in our nation’s culture.

On September 7, 1813, a newspaper referred to the United States as “Uncle Sam.”  The name reportedly came from Troy, New York’s Uncle Sam Wilson, and has since become one of America’s most enduring national symbols.

On August 21, 1856, Connecticut’s famed Charter Oak Tree was struck down in a thunderstorm. The tree had become a legend in the state’s history, reportedly hiding the colonial charter two centuries earlier.

David “Davy” Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 in Greene County, North Carolina (though it is now part of Tennessee).  Dubbed the King of the Wild Frontier, Crockett was a folk hero, politician, frontiersman and soldier.