Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-09
THE FLAGS OF MANHATTAN
ENSIGNS OF VARIOUS NATIONS
HAVE WAVED OVER N. Y.
Bunting Emblems Carried by Henry
Hudson for the Dutch East
India Company.


From the New York Sun.
The first European visitor to Manhattan
Island was Henry Hudson, who in 1909
sailed up the river now bearing his name.
The flag under which he sailed was that
Of the Dutch East India Company, which
was the flag of the United Provinces of the
Netherlands, orange. white and blue ar
ranged in three equal horizontal stripes in
the center of the white stripe being the
letters "A o. C."-Algemeene Oost-Indise
Compagnie General East India Company.
From the time Of the discovery no visitor
came into these waters of which there is
record until 1912, when Manhattan was
settled under the East India Company
which continued in possession until 1922
when the government fell into the hands Of
the West India Company. The flag Of the
Dutch West India Company was the same
the letters &c. w. C.''-Gooetroy eerde West
Indise Compagnie privileged West India
Company.
The Union Jack.
This was the dominant flag till 1864. when
this island was surrendered to the English
and the Union Jack Crosses of England and
Scotland) Of Great Britain supplanted the
tricolor OF Holland and the name of New
Amsterdam was changed to New York
The Union Jack at present is derived from
the union of the three crosses of st. George,
St. Andrew and st. Patrick, adopted in 1901
when the act of union with Ireland was
passed
In the month of July, 1913, the Dutch
again took possession of the city, which
they occupied until November TO- 1874, when
by virtue of a treaty Of peace between
England and Holland the Union Jack again
fioated over the city.
From this time there was no interruption
In the supremacy of the English until the
year 1859. when the memorable rule Of
Leisler, speedily terminated by his death,
occurred. He was warm supporter of
William and Mary, and 1t Is possible that,
while he held possession of the fort, the
flag of William, not then proclaimed King
of England, might have f1oated over New
York But there Is no record of this.
Were it so, however, 1t could have been
but for very brief period, and the Eng
lish flag waved undisputed until the era of
the American revolution.
Banner of the Union.
At the beginning Of the revolution here.
as in New England, the people, although
aggrieved, were loyal, and upon the same
day. June 25 1775, New York witnessed the
double entry of George Washington. just
elected by the provincial Congress general
in-chief of the American forces, and on his
way to take command at Cambridge. and
Iryon, the English governor, who had ar
rived the day before. 1t was about this
time that the first raising of any but the
English flag in New York occurred Before
this, indeed. liberty poles had been raised
and cut down again; but now. March, 1775,
a Union flag, with red field, was hoSted
in New York upon the liberty pole the
common. bearing the inscription George
Rex and the liberties of America and the
other side No Popery"
The British. under Gov. Tryon. vacated
New York In 17T5, but there is no record
which gives any positive date as to the
raising of the American flag here.
The city was held by American troops
after this event. until September 13, 1776
when Washington reiterated to Harlem and
afterward from the island, and the city
was occupied by Sir Henry Clinton and
from that time held by the British until the
close of the war. They evacuated the city
November %. 1888. Since then no flag but
the Stars and Stripes has waved over the
city in token of power and authority.