Revolutionary Flags
OUR EARLY AMERICAN FLAGS HELPED BRING US TOGETHER
Independence Day is for flag waving, but what if there was no American flag? Who hasn’t felt the unity, patriotism, appreciation and love as all together we salute the same flag the same time in the same way. There was a time, however, when we didn’t have a flag, or a nation, or any sense of unity. The first flag actually started out as America’s very first political cartoon. In 1754, Benjamin Franklin made his famous woodcut “JOIN OR DIE” cartoon. American colonies stretched like a snake along a narrow corridor of our coast, but like a snake cut in pieces there wasn’t unity. The French and Indian war was upon us and in order to prevail, we needed to act like a single unit instead of 13 separate colonies. “JOIN OR DIE” was a much need message. In the early days of the conflict with Britain, the Benjamin Franklin banner began to resurface, often as a flag. We thank the French for twice helping bring us together. The first time they were our common enemy and the second time as our ally during the revolution. We later paid back our dues when our flag waved over France in two world wars.
In 1775 a second flag appeared. Word reached the colonies that England was diverting a flood of troops and supplies to crush the American rebellion. It was hastily decided that our cause could use those supplies. Better to meet the foe at sea than on our shores. Ships were outfitted and marines recruited. These were among the first heroes of the war. Their standard was the coiled, uniquely American rattlesnake ready to reach out and strike if stepped on. It had 13 rattles on its tail from which came the warning, “DON’T TREAD ON ME”. This is a powerful independence image.
Another flag raised about this same time was actually a prayer, “AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN”, with the American pine pointing the direction to look for deliverance. Most of the leadership during the revolution actually came from the ranks of the Masonic movement. It was not uncommon for religious meetings to be followed by the same men under different Masonic leadership, then training as a militia. The Masons used two symbols of building tools which enable a building plan to be completed into an actual building. The tools were the compass and the square. These date back to the building of Solomon’s temple and earlier. The compass pointed to Heaven, and is used to draw a circle, the symbol of unity and eternity, and the square to square up the building with the direction of heaven. Since many had originally come to America with the vision of building the kingdom of God on earth, these were powerful and relevant symbols. The pine tree is in the shape of the compass pointing heavenward.
The next flag, and this one really caught on, was the 1777 Betsy Ross flag. Reportedly, George Washington had the vision of the basic design and Mrs. Ross made it a reality. Washington had proposed the six-pointed star of David because it could be easily made from two triangles, but when shown that with a simple fold and a single snip of scissors, the five-pointed Bethlehem star could be produced, it was used. The five-pointed star is the symbol of the individual, as people also have five appendages. The 13 stars were placed in a circle, the symbol of equality, unity, and eternity on a heavenly blue field. The 13 stripes were red, symbolic of courage and sacrifice and white, symbolic of justice and purity.
As we salute the flag this Independence Day, reflect upon our four early flags. After all, would we really be Americans without unity, a commitment to protect our rights, our appeal to heaven, purity and justice, sacrifice and courage, and with a heavenly vision of equality?