The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-07-03
REAL HISTORY OF
AMERICAN FLAG
Emblem. 1t Is Declared by Students.
May Be Traced Back As Far As
The Twelfth Century.


COO years prior to the
rrst Flag Day, June IA, lIIn
During the first crusade in 1875,
Pope Urban II. assigned to all of the
Christian nations as star dards crosses
varying in color and design, emblem
attic of the warfare in which they were
engaged. To the Scotch troops was
assigned the white satire. known as
the white cross of st. Andrew, on
blue field The British used yellow
cross, but a century and quarter
later they adopted a red cross on
white field. known as the red cross of
st. George.
When James VI of Scotland ascend
ed the throne of England as James |,
he combined the two flags, and issued
a proclamation requiring all ships to
carry the new flag at their main
masts. At the same time the vessels
of south Britain were to carry at their
foremasts the red cross of st. George
and the ships of Forth Britain to carry
the white cross of st. Andrew.
The new flag was known as "kings
,Colors," the Union Colors," or the
'"Great Union" and later as the "Un-
ion jack, and was the one under
which the British made all their per-
manent settlements in America. 1t
was the flag of Great Britain only by
proclamation, however; not until 1907
did parliament pass an act definitely
uniting the two countries and their
flags. In the same year the govern
ment issued regulations requiring the
navy to use what was known as the
white ensign; the naval reserve, the
blue ensign; and the merchant marine,
the red ensign. Owing to the fact
that the British merchant vessels
We're everywhere, the co.oniStS in
America came to look upon this red
ensign as the flag of Great Britain.
The people in the New England col
onieS were bitterly opposed to the
cross in the flag. In 1885 some of the
troops in Massachusetts declined to
march under this flag and the military
commissioners were forced to design
other flags for their troops with the
cross left out. The design they adopt
ed has not been preserved. In 1862 a
mint was established in Boston. Money
coined in this mint had the pine tree
stamped on one side of it. The pine
tree design was also used on New
England flags, certainly by 1904 and
possibly as early as 1875.
At the outbreak of the Revolution
the American colonies had no flag
common to al of them. In many cases
the merchant marine flag of England
was used with the pine tree substitute
ed for the Union Jack. Massachu-
sets adopted the green pine tree on
white field, with the motto: ''An APP
peal to Heaven Some of the south
ern states had the rattlesnake flag
with the motto Don't Tread on Me"
on white or yellow field This fag
had Ieen u.ad Ev south Coroi;n. as
cary as 171l Reniamir Frankiin
~ro,rl tLat tho ,rttIasraI-a !. found
rmilar,. w.ra consiiareI NV ,ncinnts
to be svD,ioIs Of wisdom
In E'rtrmtar 1TI5 there was ais-
p};yeI tIe Son+b wh,t was Inv many
lie ir,e. m ia fEa fr.t di.tinctiveiy
Ana,i..r apg. II was Liue win =
white crescent ard matched The dress
Of the rooms who wore cans insrrib-
ed ~ /. artv ~. Dnatb "
The ro,nni.t. desirod to adon+ -
common fag. h,t they had MT vet
declared irjnDandanra a~G vera I0t
nj tr-t .n,li'a inInrarIa,cn The,
took the British fac MS they Iloew If
and made q new colonial faG nv divid,
iul the red field with white strines
into trintcr1 alternate red and whitp
strjpe. This i known as the cam
bridge fac. because if was first nm
furled over Wozhiruto,'s hpad0lgr-
tels AT Camlridue mass. on January
|. lT7f, If comn'ipd with the law Of
no ly HAVING The Irrion lack on if.
il ols, ,.,,,,.,.,,,,,+J II, +l,;.,,,, III
onies bv The tbirtanr s+,.inat
a. The roronists orsdnaiiv baoon,a
.convorted to The idaa that i,denend-
ence from tho motber ronntrv WIS
necessary thay he~ao to nnod;fv Tho
fac fry+ Ienvira Of +ae Ii , 1s ,n
and nsino on'v 1no +birtaen bnr;znn-
anu uSllS Oi,.A Iiie I'M teeil iloilLoh-