The flag of the United States of America has come to symbolize something beyond just the patterned piece of material.
Being a patriotic bunch, the Americans themselves regard it as some sort of holy relic. And to the rest of the world it has been seen as both a force for good and bad over the years.
However, few of us will be aware of how many versions of the American flag there have been. This video shows 19 different versions.
OK, so most of them are variations on a theme, with the stars and stripes visible. But a couple of the earliest incarnations are very different.
