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Date: 03 Aug 2006
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OUR FLAG
or the evolution of
the Stars and Stripes
including the reason to be of the design
the colors and their position
mystic interpretation
together with selections
Eloquent, Patriotic and Poetical
by Robert Allen Campbell
published 1890
republished 1975
by Naconna Barlow Shaffer
Patriotic Research Publications
P.O. Box 16236
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116
pages 35-62
THE COLONIAL FLAG AND THE STARS AND STRIPES
In the fall of 1775, the Colonial Congress, then in session at
Philadelphia, appointed Messrs. Franklin, Lynch and Harrison as a committee to
consider and recommend a design for the Colonial Flag. General Washington was
then in camp at Cambridge, Massachusetts; and the committee went there to
consult with him concerning the work in hand.
It was arranged that during their stay in Cambridge the committeemen were to be
entertained by one of the patriotic and well-to-do citizens of the place. This
gentleman’s residence was one of only modest dimensions; and the front chamber —
the “guest chamber,” as it was generally called in those days — was already
occupied by a very peculiar old gentleman who was a temporary sojourner with the
family. This left only one vacant room in the house — a moderate-sized bedroom
connecting with the “guest chamber” and also opening into the hall. In order to
make room for the Congressional guests, it was arranged that the less transitory
occupant would share his apartment with one of them — and it came about, as we
will see, that this one was Benjamin Franklin.
Little seems to have been known concerning this old gentleman; and in the
materials from which this account is compiled his name is not even once
mentioned, for he is uniformly spoken of or referred to as “the Professor.” He
was evidently far beyond his three score and ten years; and he often referred to
historical events of more than a century previous just as if he had been a
living witness of their occurrence; still he was erect, vigorous and active —
hale, hearty, and clear-minded — as strong and energetic every way as in the
mature prime of his life. He was tall, of fine figure, perfectly easy, and very
dignified in his manners; being at once courteous, gracious and commanding. He
was, for those times and considering the customs of the Colonists, very peculiar
in his method of living; for he ate no flesh, fowl or fish; he never used as
food any “green thing,” any roots or anything unripe; and he drank no liquor,
wine or ale; but confined his diet to cereals and their products, fruits that
were ripened on the stem in the sun, nuts, mild tea and the sweets of honey,
sugar or molasses. He was well educated, highly cultivated, of extensive as well
as varied information, and very studious. He spent considerable of his time in
the patient and persistent conning of a number of very rare old books and
ancient manuscripts which he seemed to be deciphering, translating or rewriting.
These books and manuscripts, together with his own writings, he never showed to
any one; and he did not even mention them in his conversations with the family,
except in the most casual way; and he always locked them up carefully in a
large, old fashioned, cubically shaped, iron bound, heavy, oaken chest, whenever
he left his room, even for his meals. He took long and frequent walks alone, sat
on the brows of the neighboring hills, or mused in the midst of the green and
flower-gemmed meadows. He was fairly liberal — but in no way lavish — in
spending his money, with which he was well supplied. He was a quiet, though a
very genial and very interesting, member of the family; and he was seemingly at
home upon any and every topic coming up in conversation. He was, in short, one
whom everyone would notice and respect, whom few would feel well acquainted
with, and whom no one would presume to question concerning himself — as to
whence he came, why he tarried, or whither he journeyed.
He was firmly, and in a dignified and assured way, one who was in favor
of demanding and of securing justice on the part of the Mother Country toward
the Colonies. One of his favorite forms of stating the matter was: “We demand no
more than our just due; we will accept and be satisfied with nothing less than
we demand.” Then he would sometimes add: “We demand our rightful dues — justice;
and we will soon get all we demand — peaceably, if Parliament is wise —
forcibly, if needs be.”
The committeemen arrived at Cambridge on the morning of December 13th,
and their host invited the General of the Army to dine with them the same day at
his home. When they met for dinner the party consisted of Washington, the three
committeemen, the Professor, the host and hostess. The Professor met the guests
of his host with an ease, grace and dignity which was to them all ample evidence
of his superior ability, experience and attainments, and of the propriety of his
being among them — which, however, none of them thought of questioning. He met
the introductions with a courtly bow, that left no room to doubt that he had
habitually associated with those in acknowledged authority. When Benjamin
Franklin was presented, however, the latter came forward, extending his hand,
which the Professor heartily accepted; and then as palm met palm, and as fingers
closed upon fingers, their eyes also met, and there was an instantaneous, a very
apparent and a mutually gratified recognition.
The dinner, of course, followed the usual form of those days, under
similar circumstances; for even great men, under the pressure of grave
responsibilities, will always at their meals, and especially at dining, indulge
in commonplace remarks about ordinary affairs. They must, of necessity, repeat
or invent the looked for pleasantries; and they will in nowise fail to
compliment the dishes, the service and the hostess. In this case, however,
conversation soon drifted upon the all-important topic of the day— the relation
of the Colonies to each other and to the Mother Country, together with the
related question of one’s duty to the Colony, as related to his allegiance to
Great Britain; and thence, naturally, to the work of the Committee — the design
for a new Colonial Flag.
In the discussion of all these topics the Professor took a noticeable,
though not at all an obtrusive, part, proving himself possessed of a wonderful
fund of varied and accurate information concerning the Colonies, an
understanding of their progress, condition and needs, and a familiarity with the
principles and operations of British and European statesmanship that was as
interesting and instructive to the others as his earnest patriotism and his
assuring confidence in Colonial success was arousing and encouraging.
The hostess was a very intelligent woman, and an earnest supporter of all
those who demanded justice for the Colonies, and who were striving to secure
what they demanded; and she took a minor, though an interested, part in the
conversation during dinner, especially in relation to the design of the new
flag. She was evidently one of the professor’s earnest and intelligent
disciples.
As the party were about rising from the table, there was a brief and
undertone consultation between General Washington and the committeemen, upon
some suggestion to which seemed to be a ready, a hearty and an unanimous assent.
Doctor Franklin then arose, saying substantially: “As the chairman of
this committee, speaking for my associates, with their consent, and with the
approval of General Washington, I respectfully invite the Professor to meet with
the Committee as one of its members; and we, each one, personally and urgently,
request him to accept the responsibility, and to give us, and the American
Colonies, the benefit of his presence and his counsel. It has already been
arranged that General Washington and our worthy host will also meet with us as
honorary members.”
The Professor arose, seemingly taller, more erect and more graciously dignified
than even his usual wont, saying, in substance:
“I appreciate the compliment bestowed and the honor offered. I humbly
accept the invitation, and I cheerfully assume the responsibility of all I may
say and do as a co-worker with you. Since by your unanimous invitation and my
unqualified acceptance, I have become a member of your committee, so that I can
in all propriety say ‘our committee,’ I will proceed at once to offer my first
suggestion.
“Gentlemen and Comrades, this is a most important occasion. Upon what we
do at this time, and at the regular sessions of this committee that will follow
this informal and unofficial meeting, there may depend much of the immediate
welfare of the people of the Colonies which we represent.
“We are now six — an even number, and not a propitious one for such an
enterprise as we have now in hand. We can not spare any one already a member of
the committee — even though in so doing we should improve the condi-tions in one
respect, by making our number five; but we must needs increase our number, so we
will be seven. This increase of our numbers should be by the introduction of an
element that is usually objected to, ignored — in all national and political
affairs. I refer to woman — the purifying and intuitional element of humanity.
“Let us, therefore, invite our hostess -- because she is our hostess,
because she is a woman, and above all, because she is a superior woman — to
become one of us; and mayhap she will provide a most important factor in solving
the important question which we are to consider; for more depends on our work
here and now than appears on the surface, to the multitude; and her patriotism,
her intelligence, her fidelity and her discretion, you may, one and all, hold me
personally and entirely responsible -- that is, if any of you suppose that any
man’s endorsement, in any way, adds to an earnest and good woman’s
responsibility.”
The Professor’s first suggestion, as a member of the committee, was
certainly a wonderful innovation, considering the times and the circumstances;
but it was immediately and unanimously adopted. The hostess was formally invited
to become a member of the committee, and she promptly accepted. She took a
somewhat active part in the work of the committee; for she acted as its
secretary; and upon her notes made at the time, and upon her subsequent
correspondence, this narrative of the committee’s operations is mainly based.
The informal session of the committee at the dinner-table adjourned with
the understanding that the same seven would meet the same evening, in the same
house, in the “guest chamber” — usually occupied by the Professor — there to
resume their consideration of a design for a new Colonial Flag.
During the afternoon Franklin and the Professor took a long walk
together. They came back apparently well acquainted, and very much pleased with
each other. Both of them wore the relieved and confident looks of earnest and
determined men who had, in a satisfactory way, solved a perplexing problem, and
of victors who had successfully mastered a difficult and dangerous situation.
This was so markedly shown in Franklin’s face and manner that all the other
members of the committee noticed it at the evening session. No one, therefore
was surprised when General Washington asked Doctor Franklin to open the
proceedings with such suggestions or recommendations as he had to offer.
Franklin made reply by saying that instead of doing as General Washington
desired, he would ask him and the others to listen to his new-found friend and
abundantly honored friend, the Professor, who had very kindly consented to
repeat to them, this evening, substantially, concerning a new flag for the
Colonies, and the reasons for adopting the design which he would submit for
their consideration.
Doctor Franklin closed his brief introductory remarks by adding that if
the suggested and submitted design for a flag should please the General of the
Army and the other members of the committee as fully as it satisfied him, there
would be no need of any prolonged session to consider and conclude to recommend
the new flag.
Franklin’s suggestion was accepted, and the Professor was invited to
present his design and the reasons for its adoption. There is no full report of
what he said, but the following is an outline of what has been preserved:
“Comrade Americans: We are assembled here to devise and suggest the
design for a new flag, which will represent, at once, the principles and
determination of the Colonies to unite in demanding and securing justice from
the Government to which they still owe recognized allegiance. We are not,
therefore, expected to design or recommend a flag which will represent a new
government or an independent nation, but one which simply represents the
principle that even kings owe something of justice to their loyal subjects.
This, I say, is what we are expected to do, because this is the publicly
announced, as well as the honestly entertained intent of the great majority of
the people of these Colonies, as well as their representatives in Congress, and
of their soldiers in the field. This is unquestionably true now; for the sun of
our political aim, like the sun in the heavens, is very low in the horizon --
just now approaching the winter solstice, which it will reach very soon. But as
the sun rises from his grave in Capricorn, mounts toward his resurrection in
Aries and passes onward and upward to his glorious culmination in Cancer, so
will our political sun rise and continue to increase in power, in light and in
glory; and the exalted sun of summer will not have gained his full strength of
heat and power in the starry Lion until our Colonial Sun will be, in its
glorious exaltation, demanding a place in the governmental firmament alongside
of, coordinate with, and in no other wise subordinate to, any other sun of any
other nation upon earth.
“We are now self-acknowledged Colonies — dependencies of Great Britain,
which government we, as loyal subjects, humbly sue for justice. We will, ere
long, be a self-declared, independent nation, bestowing upon ourselves the
justice for which we now vainly sue. We must, therefore, design and recommend a
flag which will now recognize our loyalty to Great Britain, and at the same time
announce our earnest and united suit and demand for our rights as British
Subjects.
“These demands will, of course, in the future as in the past, be
neglected or denied. Our justice-demanding and our freedom-loving companions
will soon learn that there is no hope for us as British Colonists; and that we
can secure the rights we now contend for — as well as many more, and more to be
prized rights — only as the loyal and the united citizens of a free and an
independent American nation.
“General Washington, here, is a British Subject; aye, he is a British
soldier; and he is in command of British troops; and they are only attempting to
enforce their rights as loyal subjects of the British Crown. But General
Washington will soon forswear all allegiance to everything foreign; and he will
ere many months appear before his own people, the people pf these Colonies, and
before the world, as the general commanding the armies of a free and united
people, organized into a new and independent nation.
“The flag which is now recommended must be one designed and adapted to
meet the inevitable — and soon to be accomplished — change of allegiance. The
flag now adopted must be one that will testify our present loyalty as English
Subjects; and it must be one easily modified — but needing no radical change —
to make it announce and represent the new nation which is already gestating in
the womb of time; and which will come to birth — and that not prematurely, but
fully developed and ready for the change into independent life — before the sun
in its next summer’s strength ripens our next harvest.
“The field of our flag must, therefore, be an entirely new one. For this
there are two reasons, either one of which is amply sufficient why it should be
so. First, the field must be new, because it will soon represent a new nation.
Second, the field must be one hitherto unused as a national flag; because it
will represent an entirely new principle in government — the equal rights of man
as man.
“While the field of our flag must be new in details of its design, it
need not be entirely new in its elements. It is fortunate for us that there is
already in use a flag with which it has not only recognized, but also protected
for more than half a century, the design of which can be readily modified, or
rather extended, so as to most admirably suit our purpose. I refer to the flag
of the English East India Company, which is one with a field of alternate
longitudinal red and white stripes, and having the Cross of St. George for a
union. I therefore, suggest for your consideration a flag with a field composed
of thirteen equally wide, longitudinal, alternate, red and white stripes, and
with the Union Flag of England for a union.
“Such a flag can readily be explained to the masses to mean as follows:
The Union Flag of the Mother Country is retained as the union of our new flag to
announce that the Colonies are loyal to the just and legitimate sovereignty of
the British Government. The thirteen stripes will at once be understood to
represent the thirteen Colonies; their equal width will type the equal rank,
rights and responsibilities of the Colonies. The union of the stripes in the
field of our flag will announce the unity of interests and the cooperative union
of efforts, which the Colonies recognize and put forth in their common cause.
The white stripes will signify that we consider our demands just and reasonable;
and that we will seek to secure our rights through peaceable, intelligent and
statesmanlike means -- if they prove at all possible, and the red stripes at the
top and bottom of our flag will declare that first and last -- and always -- we
have the determination, the enthusiasm, and the power to use force, whenever we
deem force necessary. The alternation of the red and white stripes will suggest
that our reasons for all demands will be intelligent and forcible, and that our
force in securing our rights will be just and reasonable. All this in strict
accordance with the present public sentiment in the Colonies; for, as I have
already said, the masses of the people, and a large majority of the leaders of
public opinion, desire a removal of grievances, and a rectification of wrongs,
through a fuller recognition of their rights as British Subjects; and few of
them desire, and very few of them expect -- at this time -- any complete
severance of their present political and dependent relations with the English
Government.
“There are other weightier and eternal reasons for a flag having the
field I suggest; but it will be time enough to consider them when, in the near
future, we, or our successors, are considering -- not a temporary flag for
associated and dependent Colonies but -- a permanent standard for a united and
an independent nation. Thanking you, one and all, for your complimentary
courtesy and for your patient attention, I submit this miniature drawing of the
suggested flag for your intelligent consideration.”
The remarks of the Professor made a most profound impression; and the
design which he submitted was, in every particular, satisfactory to every one
present. It was enthusiastically endorsed, General Washington and Doctor
Franklin giving especial approval and unstinted praises.
It was formally and unanimously adopted; and shortly before midnight the
Committee adjourned. The 13th of December, 1775, therefore, witnessed the
presentation, consideration and approval of the only official flag of the
Cooperating American Colonies; and the extreme probability is that until that
time a flag with a field of alternate red and white stripes, much less a field
of thirteen stripes, had never been made or seen in the American Colonies.
There is no record of any congressional action upon the report of this
committee; nor, indeed, any record of any report made by the committee. This
design was, however, adopted by General Washington as the general flag and
recognized standard of the Colonial Army and Navy.
A full sized garrison flag was, as speedily as possible, made in strict
accordance with the drawing presented by the Professor.
On January 2, 1776, at Cambridge, in the presence of the military, with
the assistance of his officers, and with appropriate ceremonies -- in which the
Franklin Committee were participants -- General Washington, with his own hands,
hoisted the newly accepted and newly made banner upon a towering and especially
raised pine tree liberty pole; thus unfurling to the breeze and displaying to
his army, the citizens of the vicinity, and the British forces in Boston, for
the first time, the new and officially recognized Confederated Colonial Flag.
This was the first authoritative recognition of the any standard having
the color of Congressional action as a distinctly accepted flag to represent the
confederated and cooperative union of the Colonies in their resistance of
tyranny, injustice and oppression. And this was the first time in the history of
the world when thirteen alternate red and white stripes was the foundation field
of any national standard. When this flag was first displayed at Cambridge, it
was clearly seen by the British officers at Charlestown Heights, who, with the
aid of their field glasses, easily made out all the details of its design and
construction. These officers, in their wonderful wisdom, interpreted the raising
of this flag -- which they said “is thoroughly English, you know” -- to mean
that General Washington thus announced his surrender to them; and they, at once,
saluted “The Thirteen Stripes” with thirteen hearty cheers; and they immediately
followed this spontaneous outburst of British Enthusiasm with the grander and
more dignified official salute of thirteen guns.
The unintended official recognition, and this “baptism by fire” showed
the inspiration of the choice of America's standard.
[Editor’s note: This seeming confusion by some of the British officers as
to the intent of the new standard does not take away from the fact that the
British soldiers saw an intent on behalf of the Colonists to press an issue that
was dear to their own hearts, that being the “rights of an Englishman.” The
British Union represented the union of the English flag of St. George and the
Irish flag of St. Andrew, a union that closely paralleled that of the union of
the Thirteen Colonies in the interest of that which was guaranteed to them by
the British Constitution, inalienable and immutable rights given them by the
Creator. There is no wonder that the Colonists found some very important friends
within the British government in their fight to receive that which was
rightfully theirs as British Citizens and the cause for their eventually
severing ties with a Mother Country that would deny them of those rights. This
we can be sure the Professor knew in his wisdom, that which comes only from the
direction of the Author of those inalienable rights.
Later, after the British Government made that obvious to both the
Colonists and some of the English people themselves, the Declaration of
Independence was signed. Just under a year later, on June 14, 1777, the flag of
thirteen stripes alternate red and white, and a union of thirteen stars in a
blue field was adopted as the flag of the now independent thirteen United
States. This as previously directed by the Professor, to take place at the
appropriate time with little change to the original. Tradition suggests that
this flag was made by Mrs. John Ross, of Philadelphia, in June, 1776. This flag
is said to have been made from a design drawn by General Washington with some
important changes suggested by Mrs. Ross. The probability is that there is a
mistake of a year in this matter; and that Mrs. Ross made her flag in 1777. It
is surely a mistake as well that the final design was as happenstance as both
General Washington and Betsy Ross were privy to the instructions of the
Professor less than two years before. Although Betsy Ross having been secretary
of those proceedings, may have been able to offer corrections from her notes to
memories of details clouded by time.]
From the same source that furnishes the history of the origin of the
Colonial Flag there is also much to be learned concerning the origin, the
meaning, the informal consideration and the reason to be, of the final adoption
of the Stars and Stripes as the National Standard.
It seems that after the adjournment of the Franklin Committee at
Cambridge, on the evening of December 13, 1775, Doctor Franklin, general
Washington and the Professor, spent most of the night in earnest comparison of
views concerning the momentous question in which they each and all had such
vital interest.
They all agreed that the proper policy to pursue was to press vigorously
and persistently the demands of the Colonists for the redress of all their
wrongs, and the full recognition of their rights as British Subjects. Franklin
and Washington had fair hopes of success on this line of procedure; the
Professor had none at all. Still the latter was heartily in favor of pressing
the demands upon the English Government; and they were all of one mind in
believing that the continued refusal or neglect of the Home Government to comply
with such just demands would speedily ripen and popularize the sentiment and the
ideas of the Colonists into an enthusiasm and determination towards a
confederation of the Colonies as independent States; and the Professor
confidently maintained that such a result would surely be accomplished within
the coming year, with the two gentlemen before him as important factors in the
formation and establishment of the New Government. He informed them also that he
had some suggestions concerning, and an appropriate design for, the flag of the
New American Nation -- so soon to take its place among the recognized
governments of the world; and he added that these suggestions and this design
would be forthcoming at the proper time and place -- when such a flag was under
consideration as a practical issue.
The following memoranda is in the handwriting of the lady who made the
notes of the Franklin Committee-meeting in Cambridge, and in the same hand bears
this endorsement:
“By direction of Dr. Franklin, now in Paris, I made this copy of the
Professor’s memoranda; and today I delivered the original of the same, and also
a sealed letter (marked “private” and tied up with it), into the hands of
General Washington May 13, 1777.”
The following scrap in the same handwriting and evidently from a letter
-- but not showing either date, address nor signature -- is full suggestion:
“You know how much interest I have taken in the new flag. It seems that
there has been considerable attention given to the matter, in a quiet way, by
some of our prominent men; and that the Professor’s design is almost universally
pleasing to them. Last Friday afternoon I was invited to be present at a little
gathering where the subject would be considered; and you may be sure I was
greatly surprised, and not a little confused, to find myself the only woman
there, while there was men around a dozen. They read the Professor’s memoranda
and discussed the design. That is they one and all approved it. I explained to
them how I came to be the custodian of the paper, and why they had not been
sooner delivered to General Washington. The matter is finally settled, however,
for the very next day the Congress here adopted the Stars and Stripes as the
flag of the thirteen Colonies. And now that the matter is brought to such a
satisfactory issue, you can not, I am sure, at all imagine how pleased I am with
the result, and how proud I am with the accidental and humble part I have had in
its consummation.”
This letter evidently refers to a meeting held on the afternoon of
Friday, June 13, 1777, the day before congressional action upon the adoption of
the Stars and Stripes.
[Editor’s note: It is interesting to note that originally the white
stripes were intended to mean purity, peace, arbitration, intelligence and
justice. The red stripes signifying royal lineage, war if necessary to maintain
their God-given rights and the willingness to shed their own blood for the
preservation of liberty. The blue field was to epitomize industry and economy as
well as the sky in which a new, glorious and permanent constellation would rest
with its thirteen independent United States as represented by the thirteen
stars.
It’s interesting to note that the alignment of the stars in the original
Stars and Stripes was not as shown by tradition today to be thirteen stars in a
complete circle. Instead there were twelve stars in a circle with the thirteenth
in the center. The significance of this is that the flag of the Kingdom of God
as given to the Prophet Joseph Smith and later revealed to the public by Brigham
Young was this very same design with the only changes that the center star was
larger than the rest, (although some early drawings depict it larger in the
original Stars and Stripes), and the red stripes were replaced by blue. This
showing that the final sacrifice of blood had been made and that peace and
liberty would from then on be eternally found for His elect in His fully
established Kingdom. The twelve stars in the circle were to represent the twelve
tribes and apostles with the center star representing Christ as head of the
Kingdom of God.]