The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-06-09

But, contrary to the belief of many Amerf-
cans, this does not mean that our national BAN
ner sprang fullgrown into being from the brain
of one man one group Of men on that June
day 156 years ago. The truth is that our flag
like many other American institutions and
symbols, developed by a gradual evolution and
derived its inspiration from sources as varied
the strains of blood which have been fused
into making 1.-THE typical American"
Americans are proud to say that their various
ancestors have fought under the American flag
in the various wars which this nation has waged.
But how many of them realize that these varf-
Gus ancestors fought under totally different
flags? Strange as that statement may sound, it
is literally true.
The first part Of the Revolution was fought
under variety of 1ags-pine tree flags, rattle
snake flags, Grand Union flags, etc The last
part of this was fought under flag with ID
stars and Is stripes, but some of these had seven
red stripes with six white stripes, while others
had six red stripes and seven white stripes in
asmuch the number of each had not been
specified other than there must be a total Of
thirteen stripes. alternating red and white
The War of 1912, otherwise known as the Sec
ond War of Independence was fought under
flag with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, eight
red and seven white, congress having ordered in
1875 the addition of new star and stripe each
for Vermont admitted to the Union in 1890 and
war with Mexico in 1916 there were % stars in
the flag but the number of stripes had gone back
TO the original 13.
The Civil war fought by the North under
a flag with "a stars and 13 stripes. Eleven Of
the states had declared their stars out of the
Union and had formed a new Confederate flag in
which they were represented by stars. But Presi-
dent Lincoln refused to withdraw the stars Of
those states from the Union flag and before the
of he wa fyyO mi
Virginia and Nevada, had been added, bringing
the number up to &c. The Spanish-American
war was fought under flag with As stars and
the World war under one of 4S stars, the pres
ent number.
The real origin of national flag goes back
TO the banner which flown by the expedition
that discovered the North American continent.
This was the simple banner of ST. Georges cross,
in red on a white field the old flag of England.
II was carried by the expedition of Giovanni
Cabot or as he is more Familiarity known, John
Cabot, the Italian navigator, exploring for Eng
land, who discovered the North American CONT
nent in 1897. Sailing along the east coast for
1000 miles. he laid the foundation of English
claims to North America. The flag borne
later by Capt. John Smiths ships to the set
Element at Jamestown Va, in 1907 and again by
the Mayfower to the Plymouth (Mass) settle
ment in 1920.
Next in the line of descent comes the Kings
Colors or the Union Jack, designed in 1906; SYM
bolizing the union of England and Scotland after
King James took the throne of the united king
doms in 1903. This union was represented in
the English flag by imposing the English red
cross of ST. George on the Scottish white dag
onal of ST. Andrew, a field of blue.
There are records of the use of this flag on forts
in this country in 1879 and 1885, and this en-
sign required in all British dominions by a
parliamentary act of 1907.
TT,;or To- Ohoh1r- Ior;r rod
from King James signing documents in the
French Jacques" the pronunciation of which
Is not unlike Jack" The union" came to be
applied to that part of our national flag carry
ing the stars. In fact when this part of the flag
is flown alone bows of ships, it is called the
union jack" or simply "jack"
Three flags that had early influence on the
design of the Stars and Stripes were the striped
flags of the Dutch republic. The Dutch, it will be
remembered, first colonized New Netherlands,
before it became New York. This territory in
Guided New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Delaware.
Settlements in these states were made by
Dutch colonists under their flags; that of the
Dutch West India Co., with three stripes of or
ange white and blue; the United States of Meth
erlands with six stripes of red, white and blue,
and the Rotterdam flag of green and white
stripes.
Another contribution of the Dutch to our flags
history it might be added, lies in the fact that
not only the striped pattern for flag came
from the Hollanders but the word stripe" itself
and other words relating to the flag, such as
'fiy," field" and bunting.
The English East India company finally crowd
ed the Dutch out of sea trade and this company
brought new flag to America, nine ten
striped banner Of alternating red and white
stripes with a small St Georges cross Of red
In the upper corner next TO the staff. One Of
the variations in this flag was a pine tree
globe representing the New world, in the upper
left quarter of the union, formed by the arms
of the St George cross. In some flags OF this
period, the pine tree replaced the St George
cross entirely.