Betsy Ross and the First American Flag

The colors and emblems on cockades have always signified great meaning. The same is true with flags. The Betsy Ross flag is no exception! Both the meaning of the flag and the story of the woman who made it are an inspiration to every American who loves his country.

The Woman
Betsy Ross's story is that of a true American who works hard, asks no favors and is a blessing to society. Betsy was no stranger to hardship. Twice widowed by age 30, she had also lost a child by her second husband. Her third marriage survived many years but she lost another child. But Betsy had the resilient American spirit that keeps going through struggle.

She was an entrepreneur and talented upholsterer and seamstress. She supported herself with these skills through the loss of two husbands and made a name for herself as a woman of skill. She worked on uniforms, tents and flags for the Continental Army, and reportedly even made bed hangings for George Washington. As her business succeeded, she became a blessing to extended family, taking in widowed or orphaned relatives who needed help.

Historical tradition says that in the summer of 1776, George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross visited her upholstery shop and brought a sketch of an American flag for her to make. It is said that Betsy then made the first flag shortly thereafter.

The Flag
On January 1, 1776, Washington ordered the Grand Union Flag to be raised during the Continental Army siege of Boston.  This flag had thirteen stripes which alternated red and white. The British Union Jack was in the upper left corner of the flag. "Ceremony staged on Prospect Hill, in Somerville, where a seventy-six foot flagstaff had been erected, so lofty that it could be seen even in distant Boston.  On this was hoisted the 'Union Flag in Compliment to the United Colonies.'  This Great or Grand Union Flag was nothing more than the Meteor Flag of Great Britain modified by having six horizontal white stripes imposed in its field....These of course signified the thirteen original colonies, while retention of the British Union in the first canton testified continued loyalty, as Americans saw it, to the constitution of the government against which they fought." (The History of the United States Flag)

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the First Flag Act, creating the new country’s first official flag.  "That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." (First Flag Act)

George Washington is credited with saying: "We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty." In speaking of the new Great Seal, more meaning was given to the colors chosen for the fledgling United States. "White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice."

In recent days, the story of Betsy Ross and the First Flag of the United States have been under attack. Therefore I thought it only fitting to create a special Betsy Ross Cockade to celebrate this amazing woman and the flag that symbolize our American heritage!

Pearl Harbor & American Cockades

World War II had a dramatic effect on the cockades of the world.

▪ It was the last time Americans would widely wear ribbon patriotic cockades.

▪ It was the first time Americans would widely wear metal patriotic "cockades."

▪ Modern American airplane roundels were created - based on cockades!

An Infamous Date
75 years ago, on December 8, 1941, President Roosevelt addressed Congress and the nation with one of the most remembered of all American speeches.

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

And thus our nation entered one of the greatest conflicts the world has known.

Patriotism in America was already high. Most sympathies were with the European Allied nations fighting the power of Germany's Hitler, Japan's Hirohito, and Italy's Mussolini. So the people of United States willingly settled in for the long fight to preserve freedom in the world.

Fabric to Metal
One example of people's patriotic fervor was the "victory ribbons" they wore to public events. But as time went on, many items became rationed in order to help the war effort. This included textiles, which were devoted mainly to the army's use.

So people began what would become a permanent switch - from ribbon cockades to plastic and metal pins. You can see this example of a celluloid "victory pin" in my collection. It's shaped like a cockade, but made out of early plastic.

French cockades, by the way, underwent the same transformation. This is a picture of a World War II metal cockade with the French slogan "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity," written on its pendants.

Cockades In the Air
But the most dramatic new use for cockades was in the air. National emblems, usually based on cockades, were painted on airplane wings and tails as a mark of identification. These were called "roundels."

Actually, the first use of roundels was in World War I. But it was during the second world war that a version of the modern United States roundel was introduced.

Throughout the war, it went through many changes. The early design featured a blue circle, white star and red circle in the middle. Unfortunately, this was rather close to the Japanese roundel of a red circle on a white circle. So the American roundel was changed - quite a few times! Eventually the US government chose the modern design of a white star on a blue ground flanked by white bars. (See the complete history of how it changed and why here.)

Whether the national colors were worn as ribbon cockades, metal or plastic pins, or roundels on airplanes, the people of the United States were proud of their country and willing to fight for freedom. President Roosevelt said it well:

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

Easter Rising

In April 1916, Ireland experienced the Easter Rising. From that movement would come the uniting of two cockade colors into one national color scheme - oh yes, and Ireland would gain her independence from Great Britain!

Two Colors

When England and Ireland were one nation, the last Stuart king to reign was James II. James came to the throne in 1685 and had a son - and heir to the throne - in 1688. That's when the English went ballistic.

You see, King James was Catholic and England feared the despotic Catholic rule. This was a time of heavy-handed state religion and the people worried that James and his son would outlaw the Protestant faith (which was only about 170 years old at this point). So they asked James' Protestant nephew William to come take the throne instead.

Prince William of Orange gained the throne of England and Ireland in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This was in addition to being ruler of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and the Dutch Republic. He was a busy guy! William brought his orange Dutch cockades with him when he came over.

But James and his Catholic supporters did not give up. In fact, there would be war between the Stuarts and the British monarchs for the next fifty years. But the warring came to a temporary end at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. William won the battle and kept the throne.

After that, Protestant Irish wore orange and Catholic Irish green. Until 1916, that is....

Easter Rising

During Easter Week of 1916, the revolution began which would ultimately lead to Ireland's secession from Great Britian. A symbol of this rising was the wearing of orange and green - together.

This pretty little badge was worn by Geraldine Plunkett Dillon after her brother was executed for his role in the Easter Rebellion. Geraldine's parents and two other brothers were imprisoned at the time she bravely wore this ribbon. She tells a story of being stopped in the street:

"I got some South African medal ribbon because it was green, white, and orange and made it into a bow which I wore everywhere. A big policeman in Dame Street stopped me and said the tricolour would get me into trouble. I said, 'I have one brother shot and two brothers sentenced to death and my father and mother in jail'. He said 'You’re Plunkett, you can wear it'."
Of course, we know the end of the story - that Ireland eventually gained her independence and adopted a flag of green and orange. The white stripe in the middle symbolizes the peace between the two religious factions.

An amusing song tells of the early confusion from uniting the factions - and the colors! But the combination has since come to be an emblem of the Irish people.

Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen.
My father, he was orange and me mother, she was green.

The Colors of Your Country

I have many cockades of national colors - and I'd be happy to include your country's cockade if it's not in my shops! Check out the "National Pride" sections in my shops to see cockades from around the world.

Bastille Day: Heritage or Hate?

On July 14, 1789 the Bastille - symbol of absolute monarchical power in France - was stormed and the French Revolution officially began. And (drumroll, please) the tricolor cockade was born!

Many good things came from the storming of the Bastille. World politics altered dramatically as France went from an absolute monarchy to a (mostly) constitutional republic. Clothing fashions were simplified as the sharp divisions between classes were eroded in the revolution. Philosophies about freedom, government and the rights of mankind were overhauled across the globe.

In fact, the French Revolution's influence was so great that it even reverberated in the cockades that are worn to this day around the world.

But bad things happened during the French Revolution too. Should we even remember this holiday? Should we be ashamed of the past? And (most important to me!) should we wear cockades to celebrate the day?

Cockades Were Divisive 
Cockades were often worn during great debates or hostilities in history. For instance, American colonists wore black eagle cockades as a symbol of their struggle for independence from Great Britain. Pro-Unionists and Pro-Secessionists both wore cockades during the War Between the States. Suffragettes wore cockades during the fight for women's voting rights. Both men and women wore Temperance cockades during the battle for Prohibition.

And of course, French Revolutionaries wore tricolor cockades in their conflict against the French Royalists (who wore white cockades).

Strife and Division! Why Remember It? 
So why remember these times of strife? The answer: Great struggles in history provide us with examples of great heroes - and great villains. Not only can we learn from both, we often find they are ordinary people just like us.

A simple farmer donning a cockade and going to war for his country may seem like a small character in the vast field of time. His action may have put not only his life but also his livelihood and his home on the line. We might look at him and wonder if it was truly worth it for him to take up "cause and cockade." But these thousands of "small" examples of courage add up to movements that changed the entire course of human events.

People who took donned a cockade in the past often risked losing everything - but the stakes would literally change history.

Why We Need to Remember 
Are there causes to take up today? Are there battles that need to be fought and issues that need to be debated? Of course there are! People aren't perfect and there are always ways that society could be improved.

Therefore, we need heroes today as much as we did in the past. We need people today who will have the courage of their ancestors - who will take the risk of standing for a cause (and putting on a cockade if need be!). And we need, more than ever, the encouragement and example of the heroes of the past.

Great atrocities were committed on both sides during the French Revolution. No one debates that. On the royalist side, the Bastille was a fortress used by the king to arbitrarily and without trial hold political prisoners. On the revolutionary side, many people were pointlessly and brutally executed.

But when the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille, a symbol of the king's absolute despotic power, the entire foundation of monarchical despotism began to crumble.

Lessons for Today
Remembering history does not mean we glorify wrong-doing. Neither does remembering history mean that we deify those who did right. They were fallible men and women, just like us.

Remembering history means that we learn from mistakes and successes alike to be better men and women today. Slogans like "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" (the French Revolution) or "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" (the American Revolution) are merely fine-sounding words... until someone has the courage to put on a cockade and step out to make it happen.

Though not everything that occurred on Bastille Day was admirable, the end result brought an explosion of the principles of freedom around the world. That's worth remembering - and that's worth celebrating!

Rosettes For Lafayette

Considering the politics involved in the early 1800s, it was a pretty remarkable achievement to be called a hero of both the Old World and the New World simultaneously.

But Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette - more popularly known as the Marquis de Lafayette - achieved this honor. This is his portrait, and please note the lovely tri-color cockade in his hat!

Lafayette was honored in both the United States and Europe as a lover of liberty. It would take a whole book to tell about his courageous deeds fighting for freedom both on the battlefield and in government.

In anticipation of the United States' 50th anniversary in 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette accepted the invitation of American President James Monroe to tour every one of the 24 states then in the Union. The celebrations of his arrival that ensued were reportedly some of the largest, most amazing ever held in the United States. He was greeted his entire journey by huge, cheering crowds and lavish banquets and balls of celebration. People were excited to entertain one of the most famous heroes of the American Revolution.

One account of a ball given in Castle Clinton in New York City observes that it was "the most brilliant and magnificent scene ever witnessed in the United States." Six thousand ladies and gentlemen attended it! The entire fort was covered by a 75-foot-high awning and lit by fourteen cut glass chandeliers. That's quite a ball!

Another account tells of of the celebrations in Boston where 3000 children (yes, you read that number right!) ages 8-12 lined up to receive him. They "wore ribbons in their breasts, stamped with a miniature likeness of Lafayette." In Salem, there was also a description of "a body of seamen, of about two hundred, in blue jackets and white trousers, with ribbons on their hats, stamped with the name of Lafayette." There are many other stories as well about people wearing these ribbons and badges in his honor. These are surviving ribbons from that time, no doubt very like the ones they were wearing. The middle one is in my collection.

Louisa May Alcott, writing historical fiction in "An Old Fashioned Girl" published in 1869, wrote a delightful anecdote about Lafayette's tour, told by "Grandmother" in the book. "The time when I saw Lafayette was in 1825....Old Josiah Quincy was mayor of the city, and he sent aunt word that the Marquis Lafayette wished to pay his respects to her. Of course she was delighted, and we all flew about to make ready for him. Aunt was an old lady, but she made a grand toilet, and was as anxious to look well as any girl....She wore a steel-colored satin, trimmed with black lace, and on her cap was pinned a Lafayette badge of white satin."

Later in the story, she tells about a lady wearing gloves with the Marquis' image on them. When Lafayette was presented to the lady, he bowed and kissed her hand - realizing too late that he was kissing his own picture! This is an original Lafayette glove that probably looked much like the glove in the story.

But this is what caught my eye and led me to write this post - some lovely cockade shoe rosettes that were worn during the celebrations! Red, white and blue were the patriotic colors of both France and America by 1825. So this was a perfect fashion choice for an American patriot to wear in honor of a heroic Frenchman!

In addition to the celebrations and fashion statements for Lafayette, many monuments were erected in his honor and parks, streets, cities and counties were named for him (Fayetteville, NC for instance). There's even a Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.

All of this begs the question: Who was this man the whole nation celebrated?

Hero In The New World - Fighting for American Independence
Lafayette was in his teens when he learned of the struggle for liberty in the American colonies. When Benjamin Franklin arrived in France as the American ambassador during the War for Independence. Lafayette resolved to go himself to help the Americans gain their freedom. In his own words, "The moment I heard of America, I love her; the moment I knew she was fighting for liberty, I burnt with a desire to bleed for her." And bleed for her he did.

Despite his youth, Lafayette became a Major-General in the Continental Army.  He played pivotal roles in several major battles, and gained the love of his troops not only by his military prowess but also by his care for their clothing, comfort and health. Though wounded in the Battle of Brandywine, he stayed on the field to organize an orderly retreat. Only when the troops were safe did he allow his wound to be treated.

George Washington and Lafayette became firm friends. Washington considered him as an adopted son. One eye witness account says, "Washington love him for his goodness, and honored him for his bravery and military talents." And Lafayette himself affectionately remembered, "I was adopted as a disciple and son, by our immortal Commander and Chief."

This is a painting of Lafayette and General Washington together at Valley Forge. Note the American black cockades in their hats. Lafayette was a citizen of both France and the United States, the grateful Americans granting him citizenship in their new nation.

Lafayette's international diplomacy was also a major influence in the war. He was instrumental in negotiating French support for the American cause and on several occasions convinced the French navy to lend their support at crucial moments. This includes the battle at Yorktown which led the final British surrender that ended the war on the battlefield.
Hero In The Old World
Lafayette's military career didn't end in the United States. Back in "Old World" France, he tried to bring about governmental reform there as well. He was instrumental in calling the meeting of the French Estates-General and with some assistance from Thomas Jefferson, he created the draft of The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Appointed Commander-In-Chief of the Garde nationale, he designed the tri-color cockade as its badge and set about maintaining order in the city of Paris. (This is an original Garde nationale cockade, by the way.)

However, as the French Revolution gained momentum, his efforts to keep order made the Revolutionaries angry. And his desire to reform the current French royalist government created tension between him and the nobility. Since he held to his moderate principles of limited, constitutional government, no one in that age of extremism was happy with him!

With his life in jeopardy from both factions, the Marquis tried to flee to the United States, but was caught by the royalists in Austria and spent five years in prison. Though national leaders in both Europe and America did their best to negotiate his freedom, his captors feared his strong, principled influence in favor of liberty and they refused to let him go.

Lafayette's wife, Adrienne, and two daughters were also imprisoned (his son escaped to America). Though freed through the combined efforts of French and American friends, his wife and daughters bravely decided to be reunited with him once more and spent the final two years of his imprisonment with him.

This is a plaque in Olomouc, Czech Republic commemorating his confinement there.

After Napoleon gained battlefield victories over the Austrians, he negotiated Lafayette's release in 1797. But the freedom-loving Lafayette and the power-hungry Napoleon did not have common views on government. To avoid political clashes, Lafayette retired from public service until 1815. He was offered a peerage through Napoleon's influence but he refused to align himself with what he considered to be a dictatorial, unrestrained government.

Lafayette came out of retirement to join the Chamber of Representatives calling for Napoleon's final abdication in 1815. His dream of limited, constitutional government in France looked as if it might be finally fulfilled.

Hero of Freedom
Lafayette was a proponent of freedom of the press, suffrage for all taxpayers, and the worldwide abolition of slavery. As a supporter of religious freedom, Lafayette was instrumental in gaining the Edict of Tolerance, which gave more freedoms to Protestants in Catholic France.

He stuck to his principles even when threatened with sickness and death in prison. And more tellingly, he stuck to his principles when offered the temptations of rich and influential positions. Besides turning down the peerage from Napoleon which I mentioned earlier, he also had refused an executive role in the Paris Commune 1792 . And in the July Revolution of 1830, he turned down an offer to become the dictator of France, instead supporting constitutional monarchy.

As a side note of interest, he also declined an offer from President Thomas Jefferson of the governorship of the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase.

He finished his days a happy family man managing his estate in the beautiful La Grange chateau 30 miles southeast of Paris. Though his wife died soon after their release from prison due to the hardships she had suffered, his married children and grandchildren lived with him. This is a picture of La Grange as it appears now, very little different from the 1800s.

Upon his death in 1834, he was buried next to his wife and covered by his son with dirt from Bunker Hill.  His contemporary, the French historian Chateaubriand described him as "affable, obliging and generous."

But my favorite summary of him was provided by Supreme Court Judge Joseph Story when Lafayette visited America in 1824:

"Your private character has not cast a shade on your public honors. In the palaces of Paris and the dungeons of Olmutz, in the splendor of power, and the gloom of banishment, you have been the friend of justice, and the asserter of the rights of man. Under every misfortune, you have never deserted your principles. What earthly prince can afford consolation like this? The favor of princes and the applause of senates, sink into absolute nothingness, in comparison with the approving conscience of a life devoted to the good of mankind."

In this day of false heroes and anti-heroes, it is good to reflect on the life of a man who had integrity and stood for his principles regardless of the consequences. If he came to America today, I would wear tricolor rosettes on my shoes to honor him too! In fact, I might just do it anyway!

Check out the Lafayette swag in my shop!