You pass them every day. They are in your classroom, outside your school, in front of government buildings, businesses, your neighbors homes, and maybe even your home. These colorful pieces of fabric are easily recognizable by most, they are flags!
Most of the time you will see the good ol’ stars and stripes, sometimes you will see other colors and designs denoting pride in someone’s national heritage or beliefs. You may see a flag that represents your city, county, or state, and your school may even have their own. We all know why we fly them, but have you ever considered really teaching about flags?
Educators should ask themselves these basic questions when teaching with flags: what is the story behind the flag? How has it changed over time? Why does it invoke such strong feelings of patriotism and belonging? Using flags not only as a visual aid, but as an artifact that can tell its own story through design and color will not only bring a stronger connection to the actual flag, but it will help students to better learn the history of the nation, state, or people being studied. In turn, this fosters greater engagement and retention of the material. Not to mention, flags are colorful, fun, and can really liven up your classroom decor!
In the Classroom
Teaching American history can be a great place to begin your journey teaching with flags. Now, I know what you are thinking, the United States has only had one flag, how far can you go with that? Starting with the American colonial era, the European flags from that time period can be an excellent way to convey the story of our multicultural, and multinational past. While there are several ways to present these banners, such as printouts, internet projections, student-made posters, and flag streamers, I have always preferred large 3×5 flags to adorn my walls. The Nystrom Complete U.S. History Map Set will also be helpful in teaching this material.
America’s Colorful Colonial Past
Begin your year by displaying a Swedish, Dutch, Spanish Cross of Burgundy, English pre-1707 red ensign, and a white Kingdom of France flag. Students will be instantly intrigued with these colorful and for many, unrecognized national symbols.
Ask the students: What flags do you see? What do these flags represent? Where is the American Flag?
Tell your students that they are looking at American flags! Confusion will abound, but that is precisely what you want – you have hooked them! Explain how North America was carved into colonial regions in the 17th Century by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and Swedish, while indicating that the English had the smallest holdings at first. The use of current city flags can help reinforce this concept. Take Philadelphia and New York City, for instance. Philadelphia’s city flag is blue and gold, representing the original settlers of New Sweden and New York City’s flag is orange, white, and blue representing the original Dutch settlers of New Netherlands. Use the map “1640 European Settlements” from the Nystrom Complete U.S. History Map Set to help students visualize these colonial areas.
Our First Flag: The Union Jack?
By 1763, Great Britain was the dominant colonial power in North America, while the Kingdom of Spain still dominated parts of the South and Southwestern portion of the continent. Display in your classroom the British Red Ensign (1707 variation), now the current flag of the American 13 colonies. This flag represents the British heritage of America’s original 13 colonies, our belief in constitutional representative government, and the answer to the question as to why most Americans speak English. You can also point out on the “1640 European Settlements” map where Spanish would have been originally spoken by showing the colonial Spanish possessions in North America, like Florida and Texas.
The struggle was now between colonists and their mother country over those exact constitutional rights that many felt we were being denied under the British government. The Sons of Liberty, a group of rebellious American colonists who were keen on smuggling and tax evasion, used a vertical striped flag of red and white. Tensions continued to grow between British colonists and the mother country until they came to a head on April 19, 1775, when the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington and Concord. The Continental Army was created shortly after and this new army would need a flag. The flag chosen to represent the united 13 colonies consisted of 13 horizontal stripes of red and white, a nod to the Sons of Liberty and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner.
Ask the students: Why would the Revolutionaries keep the British flag (the people they were fighting) in their new national standard?
The symbolism of this decision speaks volumes into the mindset of the colonials, most still considered themselves very much British subjects in a civil war against the British Parliament. Hence the Olive Branch Petition by the continentals to the King asking for his aid in resolving the conflict. This is a perfect place to incorporate a primary source; have the students read the Olive Branch Petition.
Ask the students: In what ways were the Continental Congress indicating continued loyalty to the British Crown?
The Stars and Stripes
Once reconciliation with Great Britain was considered out of the question, the Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, and with that, the need for a new flag was recognized. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress decreed “…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.” Francis Hopkinson is now generally credited with designing the first flag, although we know Betsy Ross did make them in a slightly different design. This is the perfect opportunity to display a Francis Hopkinson and Betsy Ross flag in your classroom.
Ask the Students: What do the number of stars and stripes represent?
Most will probably know the answer to that question The idea was a star and stripe would be added for every new state. Demonstrate this by using the Star Spangled Banner flag of 15 stars and 15-stripes made famous by our National Anthem and the War of 1812. After this flag design, it was decided to just use 13 stripes to represent the original colonies and to just add a star for each new state.
Ask the Students: Why did they stop adding a stripe for each new state?
If you are feeling ambitious you can show the growth of the Nation through flags with new stars for each state or you can do a deeper dive into state, county, city, and local flags, all with their own symbols and colors that tell a story and are representative of the people of the region.
Design Your Own Flag
Have the students design their own flag that would represent the 13 colonies’ struggle against Great Britain. Students must keep in mind the parliamentary acts that brought the colonist into an armed struggle against the mother country and their desire to resolve the crisis as is clear from the Olive Branch Petition.
Students must be able to explain:
- what the colors of their flag represent
- what the design elements represent
The possibilities of teaching with flags are truly endless; flags have deep historical significance and meaning and can be taught in single lessons or can be utilized throughout the school year visually showing change over time. Either way, teaching with flags provides more than just a visual, flags tell a story and are primary sources themselves.
References
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-01-02-0114
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Bret Werner teaches dual enrollment U.S. History to high school seniors, AP* European History, U.S. History Through Film, and chairs the Social Studies department at a high school in the Philadelphia suburbs. He has also taught graduate-level education courses for the University of Phoenix. Bret has a B.A. in History from Kutztown University and an M.Ed. in Social Studies Education from Widener University. Mr. Werner has had three books published on military history topics, and enjoys living history, travel, live music, and going on weekend adventures with his wife and two kids.