Produced by Larry B. Harrison and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE LITTLE BOOK OF THE FLAG BY EVA MARCH TAPPAN HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO DALLAS SAN FRANCISCO The Riverside Press Cambridge COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY EVA MARCH TAPPAN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. CONTENTS I. THE FLAGS THAT BROUGHT THE COLONISTS 1 Flags under which the early colonists sailed--The English "ancient flag"--The "meteor flag," "Union Jack," or "King's Flag"--Endicott cuts the cross from the English flag--The militia object to the cross on the flag--A flagless fort--Dr. Cotton's decision. II. THE PINE-TREE FLAG AND OTHERS 8 Flags common among the colonists--The New England Alliance--The pine-tree flag and coins--Flags of the militia--The red coat flag. III. LIBERTY AND LIBERTY POLES 14 The demand for liberty--Opposition to the Stamp Act--Oliver hanged in effigy--The Liberty Tree in Boston--The liberty pole in New York--The Albany plan--The snake design. IV. THE LAND OF MANY FLAGS 20 The Bedford flag--Flags at the beginning of the Revolution--Sergeant Jasper saves the flag--The rattlesnake on the flag. V. WHEN WASHINGTON WENT TO CAMBRIDGE 27 The Philadelphia Light Horse Troop--The army at Cambridge--The backwoodsmen--Indians offer their services--General Putnam unfurls a scarlet flag--The Liberty Tree. VI. THE "GRAND UNION FLAG" 32 The "Grand Union Flag"--Possible sources of the design--First raised in Somerville--Flags on sea and land--Flag hoisted over the Alfred by John Paul Jones--Franklin's letters of marque. VII. THE FIRST UNITED STATES FLAG 39 The flag of the United States as decreed by Congress--The Betsy Ross flag--Significance of the Colors--Captain Jones put in command of the Ranger--The "quilting party"--The Drake strikes her colors to the Ranger--The United States flag is saluted by the French--The flag goes down with the Bon Homme Richard. VIII. FLAGS ONE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE 48 The Fort Stanwix flag--Pulaski's banner--The first Fourth of July celebration--General use of "thirteen"--Copley's delay to paint in the flag--A Nantucket skipper carries the flag to London--The last battle of the Revolution--The New Haven peace rejoicing. IX. THE FLAG OF FIFTEEN STRIPES AND FIFTEEN STARS 56