What does red represent?

Red on the United States flag traditionally represents hardiness and valor. This meaning is not stated in the original Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777, which simply prescribed thirteen alternate red and white stripes and a blue field with thirteen stars. The accepted symbolism comes from a related document: Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson's June 20, 1782 report explaining the design of the Great Seal of the United States, which uses the same colors.

Thomson wrote that white signifies purity and innocence, that red signifies hardiness and valor, and that blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Although his explanation referred to the seal, the meanings were extended by tradition and official usage to the flag, and they appear today in civics textbooks, congressional proclamations, USCIS preparation materials, and military and patriotic ceremonies.

Hardiness in eighteenth-century usage meant the toughness, endurance, and physical resolve of a people willing to face hardship; valor meant courage in the face of danger, particularly in battle. These were qualities the Founders associated with the soldiers of the Continental Army and the volunteer militiamen who had fought at Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown, and with the population that had endured the deprivations of the Revolutionary War. By using red, the flag honors the blood of those who fought for independence and, by extension, all who have risked their lives in defense of the country in subsequent wars.

The exact federal shade is Old Glory Red (Pantone 193 C; FED-STD-595 number 31136), a deep crimson that contrasts strongly with the white stripes and is selected to read clearly at distance. Red appears on the flag in seven horizontal stripes, alternating with six white stripes; the top and bottom stripes are red. Red also appears on the Great Seal in the thirteen vertical stripes of the chief on the eagle's shield, on the Presidential Seal and many service flags, on the seals of the executive departments, and on naval pennants and combat citations.

In civilian patriotic display, red bunting and ribbons are used during Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, presidential inaugurations, and naturalization ceremonies. The meaning of red as hardiness and valor is a common test answer on the USCIS civics test, and applicants are expected to associate red with the courage and endurance of those who have served the country in arms.