Whittier has stated that he based his poem on a popular narrative during the American Civil War. Barbara Frietchie demonstrated her patriotism in the following ways. In Whittier's "Barbara Frietchie," Barbara Frietchie saves the country's flag to show her allegiance to the union. She was judged guilty by some people and sentenced to death for her actions, but she saved many lives by keeping open her school while most other people were staying home to fight in the war. In addition to this, several other characters in the poem showed their support for the Union. One of them was William Jennings Bryan who was a famous orator at the time. He spoke out against slavery even though it wasn't considered a good thing back then. He also happened to be from Pennsylvania where many soldiers were fighting for the North. Another character who supported the Union was George Washington Matsell who owned a gun shop. Guns were needed by the soldiers so they could protect themselves which is why Mattes made sure to keep his store open even though doing so was not profitable. Finally, there was Joseph Conrad Corwin who wrote poems in support of the Union. He too lived in Pennsylvania and many of his poems focused on the struggles of those living in the area who were affected by the war. Overall, Barbara Frietchie showed her loyalty to her country by supporting the Union and by saving the lives of others by keeping her school open despite being poor.