Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1915-11-12
REAL his IljKI q
AMERICAN FLAG
Emblem, II ls Declared by Stu.
dents, May Be Traced Back
as Far as the Twelfth
Century.


rather than a creation. Its his
tory can be traced back TO the
18th century. or nearly 600 years prior
to the first Flag Day." June -, lGII
During the first crusade In il9o.
Pope Urban II assigned to all of the
Christian nations as standards 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 century and "a quarter
later they adopted "A red cross on a
white field. known a. the red cross %
81. George.
When James vi OF Scotland ascend.
ed the throne OF England as James |,
be 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 &c carry AZ
their foremasts the red cross Of 81.
George aud the ships of north britain
to carry the white cross OF 81. An
drew.
The new flag was known as Kings
Colors." the Union Colors, or the
Great Union" and later as the Union
Jack" and was the one under which
the British made all their permanent
settlements In America II was the
flag OF Great Britain only by proclama
ton. however: not until 1907 did par
lament pass an act definitely uniting
the two countries and their Hays. In
the same year the government issued
regulations requiring the navy 10 use
what was known as the white ensign
the naval reserve, the blue ensign:
and the merchant marine, the red en-
sign. Owing to the fact that the Brit
Ish merchant vessels were everywhere
the coonists In America came to LOOK
upon this red ensign as the flag o.
Great Britain.
The people in the New ENGLAND col
onies We're bitterly opposed 10 the
cross in the flag In 1895 some of the
aOODr htrtdthhS'' -. Nh AstA'' ~
march under this flag aud The military
commissioners were forced 10 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 IL.
The pine tree design was also used
On New England flags. certainly by
1904 and possibly as early as 1855,
At the outbreak Of the Revolution
the American colonies had no nag
common to all of them In many eases
the merchant marine flag Of England
war used with the pine tree substi'
tuted for the Union JACK Nassa.
chusetts adopted the green pine tree
ON white field. with the motto An
Appeal to Heaven some # the south
ern states had the gatlIesnake flag
with the motto Don't Tread ON Me"
on white or yellow iiold This flag
had been used b. South Carolina a.
early as l764 Benjamin Franklin d..
Tended the rattlcsnake device on the
ground that the raitlpsnake IL found
only in America, and mat serpent en-
blems were cone idrrad by ancients
to be symbols OF wisdom
In September. 1913. there was dis
played In the South what was by
many believed to be the first distinct.
lively American flag 81 Nas blue with
Z white crescent. aud matched the
dress OF the trocas. who wore oaps ia-
scribed. Liberty or Death