Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-06-18
FLAG DAY OBSERVED
MONDAY, JUNE 14th
History of Flag Quoted from
Memorial Day Annual
Tells How Emblem
Has Developed.

The following article is taken in
part from a selection published in
the Wisconsin Memorial Day Annual.
When the Americans began to be
estranged from the mother country
they adopted various flags of their
own. The New England colonies
began to use flag upon which they
had picture of a pine tree, and this
came to be known as the Pine Tree
Flag of New England. The pine tree
was selected as symbol of the sturd-
mess of character of those colonies.
1t indicated, also, kind of defiant
attitude toward England, because OF
her unkind treatment of her COLO
MES. This pine tree flag is by some
supposed to have been borne by the
Americans in the battle Of Bunker
Hill. OF this, however, we cannot
be certain. We do not really know
that they carried any flag at al in
that battle.
While the different colonies had
various flags Of their own, there was
as yet no flag to indicate unity of
purpose and action among them as a
whole in opposition to the encroach-
ments of the British government.
But somebody, somewhere, sometime
made a flag with thirteen alternate
stripes of red and white, which
seemed to declare to England, and
to all the rest of the world, that the
thirteen American colonies would
unite and stand together against the
growing tyranny of the mother coun-
try. And there was put upon those
stripes the picture of a big rattle
snake about to strike, and saying:
"Don't tread on me!'' This was a
united warning from all the colonies
that it would not be safe to tribe
with them much longer. q
BY and by there came to be war be-
tween the mother country and the
colonies. There were British troops
In Boston, and organized companies
of American minute men outside
There had been BATTLES at Lexington,
Concord, and Bunker Hill. Then
Congress sent General Washington
to command, organize and drill the
patriots encamped around Boston
These soldiers. having been brought
under army discipline, and over them
real general, wanted a flag under
which to fight their BATTLES. 1t is
not certain just how this flag came
to be adopted yet it is known that
on the End of January, 1776, with
imposing ceremonies, Washington
and his army hoisted what was
known as the "Great Union Flag"
1t had on it thirteen stripes to indi-
cate that the thirteen colonies would
stand together in their struggle for
liberty; and in the field there was
the union jack of the government
against which they were fighting.
The putting of the Union Jack upon
the flag meant, no doubt, that in
spite of her unkind treatment of the
colonies, they still loved Old Mother
England. 1t was not easy for them.
to give up entirely the banner they
had loved so long and so well. 1t.
was because of the combination on.
this new flag Of the thirteen stripes,
standing for the union of the colon
les, with the union jack, thai it was
called the great union flag.
But this flag was not to last long
On July 4, ITO, six months after il
raised, the Declaration of Indepen-
dence was adopted, declaring that
"these thirteen colonies are and Of
right ought to be free and indepen-
dent states" This declaration took
the Union Jack forever out of the
American flag. The stripes remained,
but the field was left vacant.
Then good Mistress Betsy Ross set