First Flag Of Massachusetts

The flag of the commonwealth of massachusetts is the flag of massachusetts it has been represented by official but limited purpose flags since 1676 though until 1908 it had no state flag per se to represent its government a variant of the white flag with blue seal was carried by each of the massachusetts volunteer regiments during the civil war alongside the national colors.

First flag of massachusetts. Image courtesy of royfocker 12 the flag has a white field and features the state coat of arms in the center. The crossless flags became popular in new england and militia companies designed unique patterns on their flags. On the reverse side was a green pine tree on a blue shield. View this flag at 800 pixels wide here.

Independent company of newburyport. Since flags at that time were all naval ensigns the cloth things on poles carried by soldiers on land were standards not flags massachusetts was the first to adopt a state flag. Image by randy young 1 february 2001. Back then it was called the grand union flag featuring a british union jack in the upper left corner where the 50 stars now reside and thirteen red and white stripes.

The new flag first appeared in 1634 in salem massachusetts but some considered it to be an act of rebellion against england and the cross was retained on crown property such as castle island massachusetts. The first official nonmilitary state flag which was adopted by the legislature on march 18 1908 featured on the obverse side the coat of arms. The white star is symbolic of massachusetts being one of the original thirteen states. Massachusetts officially called a commonwealth is bounded to the north by vermont and new hampshire to the east and southeast by the atlantic ocean to the south by rhode island and connecticut and to.

The state did not adopt an official state flag until 1908. The current flag is the result of a state flag amendment in 1971. The coat of arms on a white field was used as regimental colours by many massachusetts troops prior to 1908. In the 1890 s massachusetts joined the bandwagon and officially adopted what it now considered a conventional state flag for use on land.

On a wintry new year s day in 1776 somerville became the site of the first flag raising in the country. It had a white field and displayed a green pine tree which was a symbol of new england. A similar massachusetts state flag came into unofficial use among patriots at approximately the same time but it would be many years before it would be adopted for official. Around the shield is a dark blue ribbon with the motto by the sword we seek peace but peace only under liberty above the shield is an arm and a sword representing the first part of the motto.

The first state flag of massachusetts was a naval ensign that was adopted in 1776.