Continental Union Flag
Before the iconic Stars and Stripes, a different banner symbolized the nascent American identity at the dawn of the Revolution. Known by many names, this striking flag embodied both the colonies' burgeoning unity and their complex relationship with Great Britain. Its story reveals the evolving spirit of a nation on the brink of profound change. The Continental Union Flag served as the first de facto national flag of the United States, used from 1775 to 1777. Its design cleverly combined British imperial symbolism with thirteen stripes representing the united American colonies. Though often called the 'Grand Union Flag' today, this popular moniker emerged much later in the 19th century.
AI Summary
Before the iconic Stars and Stripes, a different banner symbolized the nascent American identity at the dawn of the Revolution. Known by many names, this striking flag embodied both the colonies' burgeoning unity and their complex relationship with Great Britain. Its story reveals the evolving spirit of a nation on the brink of profound change.
- The Continental Union Flag served as the first de facto national flag of the United States, used from 1775 to 1777.
- Its design cleverly combined British imperial symbolism with thirteen stripes representing the united American colonies.
- Though often called the 'Grand Union Flag' today, this popular moniker emerged much later in the 19th century.
America's First De Facto Flag
At the very beginning of the American Revolution, as the colonies grappled with their identity, they flew a flag that might surprise you. From 1775 to 1777, this banner—known today as the Continental Union Flag—served as the unofficial standard for the United Colonies and the burgeoning United States. It was a visible symbol of their collective stance.
This flag had a very specific look: it featured a canton—that's the top left corner—displaying the British Union Flag of 1707. The rest of the flag, known as the field, was a striking arrangement of thirteen horizontal stripes, alternating red and white. Each stripe proudly represented one of the thirteen unified colonies.
Many Names, One Flag
During the Revolutionary War, this flag was commonly referred to as the Continental Colours, the American flag, or simply the flag of the United Colonies. The most formal contemporary name, 'Continental Union Flag,' merged 'Continental'—a nod to the Continental Congress—with 'Union Flag,' directly referencing the British standard it incorporated.
While terms like 'Cambridge Flag' and 'Grand Union Flag' are widely used today, they are actually much more recent inventions. These popular monikers didn't appear until the 19th century. In fact, the first substantiated use of 'Grand Union Flag' dates to 1852, long after the Revolution itself.
Unpacking the Symbolism
The flag's design was rich with meaning, reflecting the complex loyalties of the time. The presence of the British Union Flag in the canton wasn't necessarily a sign of submission. Many scholars believe it was a declaration of loyalty to King George III, signaling a hope for reconciliation rather than outright rebellion against the crown.
Yet, the thirteen red and white stripes told another story entirely. They powerfully symbolized the unity of the American colonies, a collective identity that was slowly, but surely, diverging from British rule. It was a flag that literally contained both allegiance and nascent independence within its design.
Interestingly, the Continental Union Flag bears a striking resemblance to the flag of the British East India Company, which also featured red and white stripes. While the exact number of stripes on the East India Company flag varied, some historians theorize that American colonists, familiar with the powerful trading company's banner, might have been influenced by its design.
Hoisting a New Era
By late 1775, the Continental Congress was functioning as a wartime government, establishing an army, navy, and marines. With these new forces, a new flag was desperately needed—one that would distinguish American vessels and troops from the various British ensigns and regimental colors they opposed.
The Continental Union Flag made its recorded debut on December 3, 1775, hoisted proudly aboard the warship USS Alfred in Philadelphia. It was a momentous occasion, overseen by the soon-to-be legendary Lieutenant John Paul Jones of the fledgling Continental Navy. This event marked a tangible step in asserting American naval identity.
Another famous story claims George Washington's army raised this flag on January 2, 1776, at Prospect Hill, outside Boston. The legend says British observers mistook it for a sign of surrender. However, some historical accounts dispute this, suggesting it might have been the British Union Flag flown instead, though subsequent research lends support to the Continental Union Flag being present.
From Union to Stars
The Continental Union Flag's tenure was relatively short-lived. In 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Act, declaring a new national standard. The familiar British Union Flag canton was replaced by a 'new constellation' of thirteen white stars on a blue field, signifying the birth of the United States.
This shift was monumental. While the stripes remained—a constant reminder of colonial unity—the removal of the British Union Jack cemented America's definitive break from its colonial past. The designs for arranging these thirteen stars varied wildly at first, from circles to rows, before the iconic arrangement we know today became standardized. The Continental Union Flag thus served as a vital transition, bridging the gap between colonial allegiance and national independence.
Article
Continental Union Flag
The Continental Union Flag (often referred to as the first American flag, Cambridge Flag, and Grand Union Flag) was the flag of the United Colonies from 1775 to 1776, and the de facto flag of the United States until 1777, when the 13 star flag was adopted by the Continental Congress. It was a variant of the British Red Ensign.
The Continental Union Flag was so called because it combined the British Union Flag (denoting the kingdoms of England and Scotland) with thirteen stripes (representing the United Colonies). The canton consists of the Union flag, while the field is thirteen horizontal stripes, alternating red and white. The flag made its first appearance on December 3, 1775, when it was hoisted at the commissioning of Admiral Esek Hopkins' flagship USS Alfred on the western shore of the Delaware River at Philadelphia.
Origin of name
Continental Union Flag
Known during the American Revolution as the Continental Union Flag, Continental Colours, American flag, and flag of the United Colonies; the name was derived from a combination of the words "Continental," referring to the Continental Congress, and "Union Flag," referring to the British Union Flag of 1707 then flown in America.
Although the flag is often referred to as the "Cambridge Flag" and "Grand Union Flag," the terms did not come into use until the 19th century. While it has been claimed the more recent moniker, Grand Union Flag, was first applied to the flag by G. Henry Preble in his Reconstruction era book Our Flag, the first substantiated use of the name came from Philadelphia resident T. Westcott in 1852 when replying to an inquiry made in Notes and Queries, a London periodical, as to the origin of the U.S. flag.
Design
Continental Union Flag
North Carolina $7½ bill issued at Halifax on April 2, 1776, featuring the Continental Union Flag fully hoisted
In a letter to members of the Continental Congress from Virginia dated January 5, 1776, the Naval Committee described the Continental Union Flag as the British "Union flag... striped red and white in the field." Having seen the Continental Union Flag flying aboard Admiral Esek Hopkins' flagship a few days later, a Philadelphia resident further defined the flag as a British "Union flag, with 13 stripes in the field, emblematical of the Thirteen United Colonies."
British author and professor and Nick Groom believes incorporation of the Union Flag of 1707 in the canton of the Continental Union Flag suggests the Americans adopted it, not as a protest against the British Ministry, but as a profession of loyalty to King George. This view is shared by Laurie Calkhoven, a biographer of George Washington, who suggests it was designed to reflect their hope for reconciliation.
The Continental Union Flag is strikingly similar to the Flag of the East India Company. The red and white stripes on that flag, however, varied from nine to fifteen. One theory is that Americans would have been somewhat familiar with the East India Company flag and it may have influenced the design.
History
Continental Union Flag
The Continental Ship Alfred by W. Nowland Van Powell, depicting Continental Navy Lieutenant John Paul Jones first hoisting the flag at Philadelphia on December 3, 1775
By the end of 1775, during the first year of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress operated as a de facto war government, who had authorized the creation of the Continental Army, the Navy, and Marines. A new flag was needed to represent both the Congress and the United Colonies, with a banner distinct from the Red Ensign, White Ensign, and Blue Ensign flown by British ships and the Union Flag carried on land by British troops. The emerging states had been using their own independent flags, with Massachusetts Bay using the Taunton Flag, and New York using the George Rex Flag, prior to the adoption of united colors. It is not known for certain when or by whom the Continental Union Flag design was created, but it could easily be produced by sewing white stripes onto the Red Ensign.
American sailors first hoisted the Continental Union Flag on the warship Alfred, in the harbor on the western shore of the Delaware River at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1775, under the command of the new appointed Lieutenant John Paul Jones of the formative Continental Navy. The event was documented in letters to Congress and eyewitness accounts. The "Alfred" flag has been credited to Margaret Manny. The flag was also used as a naval ensign and garrison flag throughout 1776 and early 1777.
244th First Flag Raising Ceremony atop Prospect Hill, Massachusetts
It was widely believed that the flag was raised by George Washington's army on January 2, 1776, at Prospect Hill in Charlestown (present-day Somerville), near his headquarters at Cambridge, Massachusetts (across the Charles River to the north from Boston), which was then surrounding and laying siege to the British forces then occupying the city. It is also stated that the flag was interpreted by British military observers in Boston as a sign of surrender. However, some scholars dispute the traditional account and conclude that the flag raised at Prospect Hill was probably the British Union flag, though subsequent research supports the contrary. The city of Somerville hosts an annual commemoration of the flag raising each January.
The Continental Union Flag became obsolete after the passing of the Flag Act of 1777 by the Second Continental Congress. The new national flag replaced the British Union flag in the canton with thirteen stars (representing the United States) on a blue field. The resolution describes only a "new constellation" for the arrangement of the white stars in the blue canton and so overall designs were later interpreted and made with rows, columns, a square with one star in the center, a circle, and various other designs.