Historical flags of the United states

Social Studies Review, Spring 2002

The flag names and the descriptions will appear following this page. Only some of the flags are shown in this article. You might have your students try to locate pictures of the flags that have only descriptions below. It should be noted that the flag names and descriptions are in the same order. There are also a few terms I should probably define: Field - the background area of a flag. It is usually a solid color. Canton - is the rectangle in the upper left corner of a flag. This is often further decorated.

The Bedford

The Bennington

The Betsy Ross

British Red Ensign

Bunker Hill

Culpepper

First Navy Jack

Fort Moultrie

Grand Union

Green Mountain Boys

Guilford Courthouse

Pinetree

Sons of Liberty

Taunton

Kings Color

Gadsen

Continental

Serapis

First Stars and Stripes

2nd Connecticut Regiment

Flag of Proctor's Independent Battalion

Star Spangled Banner

St. George's Cross

St. Andrew's Cross

The Bedford flag was present at the battle of Concord on April 19,1775. Nathaniel Page, a Minuteman, carried it. The Latin inscription "Vince Aut Morire" means "Conquer or Die". The arm emerging from the clouds represents the arm of God. The original can be seen at the Bedford Town Library.

The Bennington flag pictured here is actually as close as historians could come to the design of the original flag. It was made in honor of the Nation's centennial. This flag flew over the military stores in Bennington, Vermont, on August 16, 1777. The American militia led by General John Stark, defeated a large British raiding force, thus protecting the military supplies. Note that this flag begins with a white stripe.

The Betsy Ross flag was adopted on June 14, 1777 (Flag Day). The Continental Congress on this day resolved, "That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes alternating red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." It is unknown who actually designed this flag. There is a slight possibility that John Paul Jones did. The Congress did not specify an arrangement for the stars in the canton, as a result there are many variations in the flags that followed until 1912.

The best known of the British Maritime flags, or British Red Ensign, which were formed by placing the Union flag in the canton of another flag having a field of white, blue, or red. This flag is also known as the Meteor flag, and was widely used on ships during the Colonial period. This was the first National flag of the United States.

On the night of June 16-17, 1775, the Americans fortified Breed's and Bunker Hill overlooking Boston Harbor. Although they had not officially declared their independence, a fight was underway. When the British advanced up the slope the next day they saw an early New England flag, possibly a red or blue banner. Many early Colonial flags had been made by altering the English flag and most still contained a reference to the mother country. This was an example that the Colonists still saw themselves as British subjects but were declaring their right to be free from violation of their liberties.