13 Star Period United States Flags

Examine eight flags dating to the early days of the United States. The diverse designs of the star fields reveal the search the people's search for a unified identity.

Early United States Flags 1795 to 1818

The flags of the New Nation often bore additional stripes and stars. The national banner, though unofficial, was truly the Peoples Flag.

The Flag - 1818 to the Civil War

The years between 1818 and American Civil War were years of Expansion, Political Reform, Sectional Strife and Turmoil which saw the flag change 11 times.

Union Flags of the American Civil War

During the American Civil War, a struggle that sought to remove stars from the United States Flag, the star count instead increased. From 1861 to 1865 the Stars and Stripes underwent a metamorphosis in both symbolic importance and popular use to truly become our paramount national symbol.

Flags, Standards and Guidons of Mounted Troops

The romance of a mounted knight carrying a pennon is continued through the flags carried by the cavalry and field artillery. Explore some of the flags carried by these mounted troops from the 1820 to the present day.

United States Grand Luminary Flags

Great Star

United States Brigade, Regimental & Battalion Colors & Standards

Colors and standards are the ceremonial heart of a unit. They were proudly carried into combat, and used tactically to organize, lead and rally troops. Presented here are flags from before and after the Civil War.

Ensigns, Jacks & Pennants from named American Vessels

These ensigns, jacks and flags were all worn by named American naval or merchant vessels from the Revolutionary War to the present.

Iconic American Flags

The flag, as Woodrow Wilson so elegantly stated, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. As a silent witnesses to history flags help us recall both individuals and events that have become iconic benchmarks in our history.

Red over White Guidons 1833 to present

Perhaps one of the longest designs still in current use, the red over white guidons have a long history of use in the US Army. Originally adopted from the US dragoons, they have been carried into conflicts since 1833.

Flags of the President and Vice President of the United States

Explore the evolution of the design and diverse uses of the United States Presidential flag. Observe the different office and automobile flags used U.S. Presidents through history.

Flag Officer Flags or Admirals & Generals

Flag Officers are those commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces who have risen high enough in grade to have their physical presence marked by a personal flag. Usually used in conjunction with their command, these flags identify both the service and the rank of the individual.

Confederate States of America, 1861 - 1865

Assortment of flags of the Confederate States of America used during its existence from 1861 to 1865

International Military Colors & Flags

The tradition of distinctive military flags as a rally point can be traced to Antiquity. The modern practice of unit flags originated in medieval Europe, and although the modern battlefield have precluded their use, they retain their symbolic importance.

Abraham Lincoln Funeral Flags & Prints

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln plunged the nation into mourning, and flags played a large part in the public's outward displays of this sowrrow.

United States Exclusionary Flags

Coined by the vexillologist Howard Madaus, Exclusionary Flag refers to United States flags from the mid 19th century machine sewn or manufactured with less than the full complement of stars because the stars representing Slave, Confederate, or Free states were either removed or simply not included.

Time Magazine 7 July 1980

This Time magazine cover heralds the lead article of the issue, Rediscovering America. Americans have constantly altered how they see their collective, part reality and part mythical, past. Featured are on the cover are significant American flag images, six of which are now a part of the ZFC.

American Civil War Union Army Designating Flags

During the American Civil the Union Army devised a system of identifying commanders in the field, that system identified the command echelon of the officer without specifying his rank. Presented here are five such flags which identified the brigade, division and corps affiliation of a commander.

American Civil War Union Army Regimental Colors

During the American Civil War large national and regimental colors were used both ceremonially and tactically

Flags in American Politics

American political campaigns have, since 1840, been distinguished, by what might seem the redundant display of the national flag; but from the start, the Stars and Stripes has not merely been the emblem of the national government, but the flag of the people and, along with other flags, used lavishly

Space Flown flags & artifiacs

No other space artifact is more symbolic of the nation that spearheaded mankind’s efforts in space than Space Flown United States Flags and flag related artifacts.

Flags of the United Kingdom

The Union Flag of the United Kingdom is one of the most recognizable flags on earth.
Styled the Union Jack, since 1801, the flag has flown over the creation and dissolution of one of the greatest empires the world has known. It has spawned numerous ensigns and national fags.

International Naval Ensigns and jacks

A Naval Ensign is the distinguishing flag worn by a warship. Many nations use a distinctive national flag for this purpose. A jack is a flag of national character flown at the fore. Presented here are some of the ensigns and jacks identified to specific historic ships.

The 2nd German Reich from Birth to the Weimar Twilight

The rich pageantry of Imperial Germany was reflected in its flags. Presented here are examples of the 2nd Reich and Wiemar republic.

Flags of France

French flags have ranged from the resplendent to the ragged - elegant fleurs-de-lis of the monarchy to the tricolor of the French Revolution. A flag which has inspired tri-band flags the world over.

Flags of the Philippines

Variants of the Philippine Flag have been utilized by all Philippine governments since 1898 when the flag was conceptualized by Emilio Aguinaldo: during the insurgency against Spain; the 1st and 2nd Philippine Republics; the Commonwealth; and finally the Republic of the Philippines.