Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-07-01
REAL HISTORY OF
AMERICAN FLAG
Emblem, Il Is Declared BY Stu.
dents, May Be Traced Back
as Far 40 the Twelfth
Century.

STsIIE American flag Ii = growth.
rather than 4 creation. Its his,
tory can be- traced back TO the
18th century. or nearly 600 years prioS
TO the first "F'lag Day June Ia, t777,
During the first crusade In 1876,
Pope Urban - assigned to all OF tho
Christian nations ~ standards crosses
varying In color aud design, emblem,
attic Ok 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 d
blue field. The British used q Yellow
cross, but century and quarter
later they adopted Q red cross on q
white field. known 40 the red cross Oh
Et. George
When James vi OF Scotland ascend
cd the throne OF England as James i.
be combined the two flags. and issued
proclamation requiring all ships TO-
carry tho new flag ut their main
masts. Al the same time the vessels
oi south Britain were 10 carry Mt
their foremasts the red cross OF ut.
George and the ships OF north Britain
to carry the white cross OF st. An.
drew.
The new fiag was known az "Kings
Golors." the Union Culors, or the
"Great Union" and later rs the .Union
Jack" and was the one under which
the british made all their permanent
settlements In America. II was the
nag or Great Britain only by proclama-
ton. however; not until 1907 did par
lament pass an act definitely uniting
the two countries and their flags. In
the same year the government 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 en-.
sign. Owing to the fact that the Brit
the colonists In America came to look
upon this rcd ensign "a the flag Of
Great Britain
The people In the New England col
onies were bitterly opposed to the
cross In the flag, In 1915 some OF the
AAONR@ 0lHEEdShunGttS NNtthkEa w
march under this dag 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 q
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 IN early as 1886,
AT the outbreak OF the Revolution
the American colonies had no dag
common to all Of them. In many cases
the merchant marine hag Of England
was used with the pine tree substi-
tuted for the Union Jack, Massa.
chusetts adopted the green pine tree
on white neld. with the motto: IAN
Appeal To Heaven" Some OF the south.
ern states had the rattlesnake nag
with the motto Don't Tread ON Me"
on white or yellow field. This nag
had been used by South Carolina M
early as iT64 Benjamin Franklin de.
tended the rat;lesnake device on the
ground that the rattlesnake is found
only In America. and that serpent EN-
blems were considered by ancients
10 be symbols OF wisdom
In September. i775, there WAS das
played In the South what was by
many believed TO be- the first distinct
lively American nag. II was blue with
white crescent. and matched ths
dress OF the troops. who wore caps In
scribed. .I1berty or Death"
The coionists desired to adopt Z
/ common nag: but they had not yst