U.S 50 Star Flag - "A More Perfect Union"

U.S. 50 Star Flag Barack Obama - A More Perfect Union Speech.
In the election of 1840 the Democratic President Martin Van Buren faced the Whig party candidate, William Henry Harrison. Harrison, a patrician and soldier, was presented to the people as Old Tippecanoe, who had been born in a log cabin and drank hard cider like common folk. In an appeal to emotional and patriotic issues, national politics were ignored. Harrison's campaign was the first to make wide use of the US flag in his party's successful run for the presidency.

Noting that success the United States flag has figured largely in all candidates campaign decor since then and the election of 2008 was no exception. Here the Democratic candidate Senator Barack H. Obama faced Republican opponent Senator John McCain.

Senator Obama is bi-racial, the son of a Caucasian mother from Kansas and an African father from Kenya. He launched his campaign in early 2007 to be the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nominee. His selection marked the first time a major American political party had chosen an American of African descent.
In March 2008, the American news media began examining the sermons of Obama's long-time pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago, Il, in which Wright denounced the United States as racist and accused the government of crimes against people of color. Wright had said, among other things, "God damn America" for its racism and "for killing innocent people."

Candidate Obama, responding to the growing attention paid to Wrights controversial remarks began distancing himself from Wright, even removing him as a campaign staffer. However, Obama felt that he had failed to sufficiently address and explain the context of his relationship with Reverend Wright, and began writing a speech that eventually became "A More Perfect Union." He would later say that as he wrote the speech, he tried to ensure that his white mother, Ann Dunham, would have endorsed its sentiments.

Barack Obama delivered a More Perfect Union Speech on the 18th of March 2008 before an audience at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA. Obama couched his remarks in terms of the broader issue of race in the United States, and took his title from the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States; addressing racial tensions, privilege, inequality, African American anger and White resentment. He closed with a plea to move beyond America's "racial stalemate" and address common social problems.

The speech was delivered from a rostrum on a podium set up in the auditorium of the Constitution Center. On the podium behind the rostrum were eight United States flags arranged four on either side of Senator Obama. This is done so that no matter what angle a candidate id photographed from a flag or a portion of a flag will appear in the frame with him.

The flags selected were parade or presentation flag sets consisting of: 3' x 5' nylon US flags with embroidered stars, sewn stripes and fringed with 2 golden yellow rayon fringe in three sides; they were mounted on a 1.25 diameter x 8 hardwood pole topped with a gold wash plastic ball finial and inserted into a gold wash plastic floor stand.

There is an adage in the American flag business about flags in political campaigns stemming from the election of 1984; Democrats rent and Republicans buy. Appropriately then these flags did not belong to the Democratic Party, the Obama Campaign or the Constitution Center; instead, they were rented from a Philadelphia flag company for the event.

This flag is marked inside the bottom of the sleeve in black ink Obama #2, and is reported to be the flag on Obama's immediate left. It was acquired directly from the Humphrey's Flag Co. of Philadelphia, PA.

Companion piece to ZFC3243, ZFC3244, ZFC3245 and ZFC3246

Exhibition History:
University of California - Santa Cruz
Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit
Santa Cruz, CA
7 June 2012

ZFC Significant Flag


Provenance:
• Made by Annin & Co., Roseland, NJ, 2008.
• Acquired by Humphreys Flag Co. Philadelphia, PA.
• Rented to Obama Campaign, 2008
• Acquired by Purchase by Zaricor Flag Co., 2008.



Sources:

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"A More Perfect Union", Wikipedia, 8 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_More_Perfect_Union_%28speech%29

Obama Race Speech, The Huffington Post, 8 November 2011, from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-th_n_92077.html

Barack Obama's Speech on Race, New York Times, 8 November 2011, from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/us/politics/18text-obama.html?pagewanted=all

A More Perfect Union: Barack Obama's Race Speech at the National Constitution Center, National Constitution Center - Classroom Ready Resource, 8 November 2011, from: http://constitutioncenter.org/files/race_lesson.pdf

A More Perfect Union, National Constitution Center, 8 November 2011, from: http://www.constitutioncenter.org/amoreperfectunion/

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
National Constitution Center
audreychan.net

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	36
Length of Fly	60

Stars
Comments on Star Measurements	6-5-6-5-6-5-6-5-6 horizontal rows

Stripes
Size of Hoist	2

Frame
Is it framed?	no

Stars
Number of Stars	50
Are there stars on obverse?	yes
Are there stars on reverse?	yes

Stripes
Number of Stripes	13
Color of Top Stripe	Red
Color of Bottom Stripe	Red
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Nylon

Stitching
Stitching	Machine

Thread
Type of Thread	Synthetic

Weave
Type of Weave	Oxford

Attachment
Method of Attachment	Sleeve

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Documents	Certificate of Authenticity Letter of Authenticity
Research Documents

Condition
Condition	Excellent
Damage	Like new, used once
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	2008

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

University of California - Santa Cruz Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit Santa Cruz, CA 7 June 2012 Santa Cruz, CA, June 7, 2012: The Zaricor Flag Collection exhibited 34 flags and artifacts at the University of California Santa Cruz Campus for the Board of Councilors Meeting. U.S. 50 Star Flag, Sen. Barack Obama A More Perfect Union Speech Date: 2008 Media: Machine sewn nylon bunting, cotton embroidery and rayon fringe. Comment: The United States flag has figured prominently in all candidates campaign decor since it was effectively used by the patrician and soldier William Henry Harrison in the election of 1840. The 2008 election was no exception, and the Democratic candidate Senator Barack Obama used flags as a backdrop when he delivered his "A More Perfect Union" address on the topic of race in America at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center. President Obama framed his remarks in terms of the broader issue of race in the United States, and took his title from the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States; addressing racial tensions, privilege, inequality, African American anger, and white resentment. He closed with a plea to move beyond America's "racial stalemate" and address common social problems. The flags selected were eight fringed U.S. parade or presentation flag sets in floor stands. In modern American politics image is everything and most campaign managers will use redundant flags on stage to ensure that a flag will appear next to or behind a candidate regardless of the angle from which he or she is photographed. There is an adage in the American flag business about flags in political campaigns stemming from the election of 1984 "Democrats rent and Republicans buy". Appropriately then, these flags did not belong to the Democratic Party, the Obama campaign or the Constitution Center; instead, they were rented from a Philadelphia flag company for the event. Provenance: Acquired in 2008 by the Zaricor Flag collection (ZFC3242) directly from the Humphreys Flag Co. of Philadelphia, PA. www.FlagCollection.com