Flag of Easton, Pennsylvania
 | |
| Adopted | July 8, 1776 (according to legend) |
|---|---|
| Design | A blue field with 13 alternating red and white stripes in the canton and 12 white 8-pointed stars circling another white 8-pointed star to the right of the design in the canton |
The Easton flag is an early American flag used in modern times to represent Easton, Pennsylvania.
Flag[edit]
The flag is designed differently from more common flags of the United States in that it has 13 (8-pointed) stars in a blue field, with 13 stripes in the canton.[1] The flag's design is consistent with the 1777 Flag Act, which does not specify the location of the stars and stripes: "That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
History[edit]
According to local legend,[2] the flag was hoisted when the Declaration of Independence was publicly read in Easton, Pennsylvania by Robert Levers on July 8, 1776, two days before a copy of the Declaration reached New York City.[3]
The flag was used as a company flag under Captain Abraham Horn in the War of 1812, and some suspect that the design may only date from this era.[4][nb 1] This is considered unlikely by some, as flags would have had 15 stars and stripes in 1814. The flag was given in 1821 to the Easton library for safe-keeping when the company returned. The Easton Area Public Library still holds the flag.[5]
Notes[edit]
- ^ It is worth noting that US flags of this era had 15 stars and 15 stripes.
References[edit]
- ^ Mastai, Boleslaw; D'Otrange, Marie-Louise (1973). The Stars and the Stripes: The American Flag as Art and as History from the Birth of the Republic to the Present. New York City: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-3944-7217-1. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ Landauer, Bill (June 13, 2015). "Did Betsy Ross rip off Easton?". The Morning Call. Allentown, Penn. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Easton Flag". Easton Area Public Library. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ It was presented to the infantry by Rosanna (Rosina) Beidleman Wagener (1775-1848).
- ^ Jones, Kyle M. (28 June 2013). "A Short History of Easton's Flag (Retyped)". Easton Patch. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
Sources[edit]
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External links[edit]
- Flag history from Easton Area Public Library
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