Union Flag
Bicentennial Flag Memorial
In 1603, St. George’s Cross was joined with St. Andrew’s Cross, the Scottish Flag, to form the famous Union Flag or “Union Jack” of Great Britain. It was this flag which flew over the first British colonies in North America at Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620) until the Revolution. Although the flags of Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and France were prominent symbols of early settlements during pre-Revolutionary America, it was the Union Jack and other flags of British Association that were most frequently encountered. Gradually, the other national flags were hauled down and the Union Jack raised and by 1644 the only other European flag which remained was the French.
After years of antagonism and three inconclusive wars, the French Flag was finally expelled in the decisive French and Indian War. It was during this period of conflict (1689-1763) that the colonists fought alongside the British regulars under the Union Jack. A deep respect for the Union Jack developed. It represented a proud symbol of the mother land and the aid that she provided the colonists in their conflicts with the French and their Indian allies.
Courtesy hmdb.org
