The Little Book of the Flag

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

The flag of fifteen stripes and fifteen stars decreed by Congress--Worn by "Old Ironsides"--Leads against Tripoli--Seen at Constantinople--Among the Indians of the Louisiana Territory--"The Star-Spangled Banner"--Marking the birthplace of Washington.

X. THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER 63

Congress decrees the present flag--No law for the arrangement of the stars--The manufacture of bunting--Flags for the navy--Flags for the War Department--"Old Glory."

XI. THE FLAG IN WAR 70

The flag at Chapultepec--The surrender of Fort Sumter--The flag raised again at Fort Sumter--The Arizona flag of the Rough Riders.

XII. THE FLAG IN PEACE 77

Perry opens Japan to the world--Raising the flag over the legation in Sweden--Hauling down the flag in Cuba--The flag at the North Pole--The flag on Westminster Palace.

XIII. HOW TO BEHAVE TOWARD THE FLAG 85

FLAG ANNIVERSARIES 90

SELECTIONS The Star-Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key 93 The Flag in the Darkness Benjamin Harrison 95 A Song for Flag Day Wilbur D. Nesbit 96 The Flag goes by Henry Holcomb Bennett 98 What the Flag stands for Henry Cabot Lodge 100 Union and Liberty Oliver Wendell Holmes 101 Your Country and your Flag Edward Everett Hale 103 The Home Flag Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 104 Old Flag Hubbard Parker 105 Britannia to Columbia Alfred Austin 107 Makers of the Flag Franklin K. Lane 109 Our Flag Margaret Sangster 112 Our History and our Flag William Backus Guitteau 113 The American Flag Joseph Rodman Drake 115 The Flag of our Country Robert C. Winthrop 116 America Samuel Francis Smith 117