Adopting the Stars and Stripes

June 14, 1777

The Second Continental Congress (not to be confused with the FIRST Continental Congress) resolved that the Stars and Stripes would be the official flag of the United States of America on this day in 1777. Although we often associate the Betsy Ross creation with our first flag (you know the one with the circle pattern of stars?), it was actually the flag below that Congress voted in. The stars are in a 3-2-3-2-3 pattern (it sounds a bit like a soccer formation to me) and was designed by one of the Congressmen.

Riot on Broad Street

June 11, 1837

Tension between the Irish Americans and the British Americans had been running high for quite

 some time on the eastern seaboard, leading to a brawl in the streets of Boston that is still 

considered to be the worst rioting the town has ever seen.

On June 11, 1837, firefighters were returning to the station after putting out a fire over in Roxbury. All of them happened to be Protestant Yankees, and the majority of them had stopped off in a local pub on the way back to the station. Heading down Broad Street right around the same time was a group of Irish Catholics, in the midst of a funeral procession.