This flag was adopted June 14, 1777 (Flag Day).

The Continental Congress on this day resolved,

"That the flag of the United States be thirteen

stripes alternating red and white; that the

Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field,

representing a new constellation". It is unknown

who actually designed this flag. There is a slight

possibility that John Paul Jones did. The

Congress did not specify an arrangement for

the stars in the canton, as a result there are

many variations in the flags that followed

until 1912.

First Navy Jack or "Continental Navy Jack"

This flag is believed to have flown aboard the

Continental Fleet's flagship Alfred, in January,

1776. This flag or one of it's variations was

used by American ships throughout the Revolution.

The United States Navy originated as the

Continental Navy, established early in the

American Revolution by the Continental

Congress by a resolution of 13 October 1775.

There is a widespread belief that ships of the

Continental Navy flew a jack consisting of

alternating red and white stripes, having the

image of a rattlesnake stretched out across it,

with the motto "Don't Tread on Me." That

belief,however, rests on no firm base

of historical evidence.

It is well documented that the rattlesnake and

the motto "Don't Tread on Me" were used

together on several flags during the War of

Independence. The only question in doubt is

whether the Continental Navy actually used

a red and white striped flag with a rattlesnake

and the motto "Don't Tread on Me" as its jack.

The evidence is inconclusive. There is reason to

believe that the Continental Navy jack was

simply a red and white striped flag with no

other adornment.

The historical evidence makes it impossible to

say for certain whether the Continental Navy

used the striped rattlesnake flag as its jack.

At the same time, the evidence does suggest

strong connections between the symbol of the

rattlesnake with the motto "Don't Tread on Me"

and the United States' earliest naval traditions.

Gadsden

This flag was first used by Commodore Esek

Hopkins, the first Commander in Chief of the

New Continental Fleet. When his ships put

to sea for the first time in February, 1776, flags

with the symbol of the rattlesnake were very

popular in Rhode Island at this time. Colonel

Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina copied

this flag and presented it to the Continental

Congress.

In early 1776 Commodore Esek Hopkins,

the first and only commander in chief of the

Continental Navy fleet, used a personal standard

designed by Christopher Gadsden of South

Carolina. This flag consisted of a yellow field with

a coiled snake and the motto "Don't Tread on Me."

There is no doubt as to the authenticity of

Hopkins's personal standard, usually referred to

as "the Gadsden flag."

The only written description of the Continental Navy

jack contemporary with the American Revolution

appears in Commodore Hopkins's "Signals for the

American Fleet," January 1776, where it is described

as "the strip'd jack." No document says that the jack

had a rattlesnake or motto on it. Elsewhere, Hopkins

mentions using a "striped flag" as a signal. Since

American merchant ships often displayed a simple red

and white striped flag, there is a good chance that the

striped jack to which Hopkins refers was the plain,

striped flag used by American merchant ships.

Bennington or "Vermont"

This flag flew over the military stores

in Bennington, Vermont, on August 16,

1777. The American militia led by General

John Stark, defeated a large British raiding

force, thus protecting the military supplies

at Bennington. Note that this flag begins

with a white stripe.

Culpepper

This flag represented a group of about one

hundred minutemen from Culpepper, Virginia.

The group formed part of Colonel Patrick

Henry's First Virginia Regiment of 1775. In

October-November 1775 three hundred such

minutemen, led by Colonel Stevens, assembled

at Culpeper Court House and marched for

Williamsburg. Their unusual dress alarmed the

people as they marched through the country.

The word "LIBERTY OR DEATH" were in

large white letters on the breast of their hunting

shirts. They had bucks' tails in their hats and in

their belts, tomahawks and scalping knives.

Washington Cruisers

This flag was used by George Washington on his

squadron of six schooners which he outfitted at

his own expense in the fall of 1775. This flag was

a variation of the New England Pine Tree flag.

It was later modified and adopted by the

Massachusetts Navy. The Sons of Liberty would

rally under a large tree, in Boston Massachusetts,

which came to be known as "The Liberty Tree".

This tree became a symbol of American

independence. Knowing they were up against a

great military power they believed they were

sustained by still a greater power, thus their

"APPEAL TO HEAVEN."

Col. Joseph Reed to Col. John Glover and Stephen

Moylan, 20 October 1775, referring to

Washington's fleet of schooners: "Please to fix upon

some particular Colour for a Flag--& a Signal, by

which our vessels may know one another—What do

you think of a Flag with a White Ground, a Tree in

the Middle-the Motto (Appeal to Heaven)-This is the

Flag of our floating Batteries."

Sir Hugh Palliser to Lord Sandwich, 6 January 1776,

referring to the flag of the captured brig Washington,

of George Washington's fleet: "Captain Medows has

brought the American vessel's colours, it is a white

field with a green pine tree in the middle: the motto,

Appeal to Heaven."

The Massachusetts General Court established the flag

of the state navy on 26 July 1776: "that the Colours be a

white Flagg, with a green Pine Tree, and an Inscription,

"Appeal to Heaven.'"

Taunton

This flag is another example of the colonists' modifying

the British flag, in this case the British Red Ensign. It was

raised on the Liberty pole in Taunton, Massachusetts,

on October 21, 1774. Sometimes only the word

"LIBERTY" was added to the flag.

Sons of Liberty

This was the flag of the early colonist who had joined

together in the protest against the British impositions on

American economic freedom. One such protest was

resistance to the Stamp Act, on October 7, 1765.

A delegate from each of the nine colonies formed the

"Stamp Act Congress" . They petitioned the king and

parliament, the act was repealed on March 18, 1766.

The flag of nine red and white stripes that represented

these "Sons of Liberty" became known as the

"Rebellious Stripes." On December 16, 1773, the Sons

of Liberty protested the parliament's Tea Act, an action

that became known as the Boston Tea Party. The colonists'

believed the tax to be a violation of their legitimate

economic liberty. Three and a half years after the Tea Party

the thirteen colonies had come together in their decision to

fight for independence and the nine stripes had grown to

thirteen. The Sons of Liberty would rally under a large tree

which became known as "The Liberty Tree".

Rhode Island Regiment

In Rhode Island the anchor has been used as a state

symbol ever since 1647 which is evident in the current

State flag. The anchor represents Rhode Island's seafaring

activities and the thirteen stars, the original thirteen colonies.

The native Rhode Islanders were among the first to join

the Minutemen outside Boston. The Rhode Island Regiments

served at the Battles of Brandywine, Trenton and Yorktown.

This flag is preserved today in the State House at

Providence, Rhode Island.

Pine Tree

This flag was in use 1775-1777. It was officially adopted

by the Massachusetts Navy in April 1776. It flew over the

floating batteries which sailed down the Charles River to

attack British-held Boston. This flag is the jack form of the

"Bunker Hill" flag. On October 20, 1775, Colonel Joseph

Reed, Washington's military secretary, recommended that

this flag be put into general usage so that American ships

could recognize one another. The "Pine Tree Flag" is a

generic name for a number of flags used by Massachusetts

and by New England from 1686 to 1776.

Philadelphia Light Horse Troop

This troop was formed by a group of Philadelphia

gentlemen on November 17, 1774. Many were

businessmen and merchants who supplied their own

uniforms, military equipment and horses. The flag was

contributed to the unit by Captain Markoe, it was

designed by John Folwell and painted by James

Claypoole. The British Union was originally painted

in the canton but the artist was instructed to paint

thirteen stripes to represent the united colonies. It was

this troop that escorted General Washington from

Philadelphia to take command of the Continental Army,

assembled at Cambridge outside of Boston in June,

1775. The Light Horse Troop later carried their flag in

the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Princeton

and Trenton.

Guilford Courthouse

This flag is an example of the lack of uniformity in

American flags during the Revolutionary period as

each group chose what flag to be used as it's standard.

This flag has the unique elements of an elongated

canton and blue stripes. It was raised over the Guilford

Courthouse, North Carolina on March 15, 1781 under

the leadership of General Greene whose militiamen

halted the British advance through the Carolinas and

turned them back to the seaport towns. This was one

of the bloodiest battles of the long war with the British

losing over a quarter of their troops.

Green Mountain Boys

On August 16, 1777 the "Green Mountain Boys"

fought under General Stark at the Battle of Bennington.

It's green field represented their name and the thirteen

white stars a tribute to the thirteen colonies. A notable

victory of the Green Mountain Boys under Ethan Allen,

occurred on the morning of May 10, 1775, when they

silently invaded the British held Fort Ticonderoga and

demanded its surrender "In the name of the great Jehovah

and the Continental Congress". The captured cannon and

mortars were transported across the snow covered mountains

of New England and their installation on the heights over

Boston Harbor enabled Washington to force the British to

leave that important seaport.

Grand Union or "Continental Colors"

This flag was never officially sanctioned by the Continental

Congress but is considered the first flag of the United

States and was in use from late 1775 until mid 1777.

This flag was an alteration of the British Meteor flag. In its

blue canton was the red cross of St. George, signifying

England, and the white cross of St. Andrew, signifying

Scotland. The thirteen stripes signified the original colonies.

Retaining the British Union in the canton indicated a

continued loyalty, as the Americans saw it, to the

constitutional government against which they fought. On

January 1,1776, this flag was first raised on Prospect Hill

(then called MT. Pisgah), in Somerville, Massachusetts.

At this time the Continental army came into formal existence.

At the time it was known as the continental colors because

it represented the entire nation. In one of Washington's letters

he referred to it as the "Great Union Flag" and it is most

commonly called the Grand Union today.

Fort Moultrie

This flag was carried by Colonel William Moultrie's

South Carolina Militia on Sullivan Island in Charleston

Harbor on June 28, 1776. The British were defeated that

day which saved the south from British occupation for

another two years. Some versions of this flag have the

word "LIBERTY" in the crescent moon. The South

Carolina state flag still contains the crescent moon from

this Revolutionary flag.

Flag descriptions courtesy of http://www.anyflag.com/history/

   First Continental Regiment or

"First Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment"

This regiment served, during the course of the

Revolution, in each of the thirteen colonies and it's

banner was carried at the battles of Trenton, Princeton,

Brandywine, Monmouth and Yorktown.

Cowpens or "Third Maryland Regiment"

The Cowpens was first carried by the Third Maryland

Regiment which was part of the Continental line of

Maryland, Virginia and Georgia regiments. On

January 17th, 1781, General Daniel Morgan won a

decisive victory against the British at Cowpens, South

Carolina. The original flag is enshrined in the State

house in Annapolis, Maryland.

Bunker Hill

On the night of June 16-17, 1775, the Americans

fortified Breed's and Bunker Hills overlooking Boston

Harbor. Although they had not officially declared their

independence, a fight was underway. When the British

advanced up the slope the next day they saw an early

New England flag, possibly a red or blue banner. Many

early Colonial flags had been made by altering the English

flag and most still contained a reference to the mother

country. This was an example that the Colonists still saw

themselves as British subjects but were declaring their

right to be free from violation of their liberties.

British Red Ensign or "Colonial Red Ensign"

The best known of the British Maritime flags, or Ensigns,

which were formed by placing the Union flag in the canton

of another flag having a field of white, blue or red. This flag

is also known as the Meteor flag, and was widely used on

ships during the Colonial period. This was the first National

flag of the United States.

Bedford Flag

This flag was present at the battle of Concord in April 19,

1775. It was carried by Nathaniel Page, a Bedford

Minuteman. The Latin inscription "Vince Aut Morire" means

"Conquer or Die". The arm emerging from the clouds

represents the arm of God. The original can be seen at the

Bedford Town Library.