The Rostrum & the U.S. Flag | The Bronze Fasces | The Mace | Coin Silver Inkstand | Portraits of Lafayette and Washington | The Lawgivers: Map, List
The Rostrum & U.S. Flag   The Rostrum on the Floor of the House Chamber Photo courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol		The Rostrum The Rostrum, a place for public speaking, is the location from which the Speaker of the House presides. As the Constitution dictates, Members of the House "shall chuse their Speaker." Although it is not mandated by the Constitution, each Speaker has been a Member of the House. The U.S. Flag The U.S. Flag is located behind the Speaker's chair and, since 1901 has been provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution whenever it needed to be replaced. The original design of the flag is described as follows in a resolution adopted by the Marine Committee of the 2nd Continental Congress at Philadelphia on June 14, 1777. "Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation."