U.S. Continental Colors Flag Replica.

U.S. Continental Colors Flag Replica.
This flag is a replica of the first national flag of the U.S. It is often incorrectly referred to as the "Grand Union Flag" although its contemporary name was "the Continental Colors." Used by Girl Scout Troop 38.

This replica was Used by Girl Scout Troop 38 in 1933 as part of a community project in 1933 at the Star Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore, Maryland. The now museum, was the home of Mary Pickersgill, a flag maker who made the original Star Spangled Banner Flags for Ft. McHenry and its garrison at her home and business. The US Army was soon to be engaged by the British Navy in a planned attack and landing against the defense of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The flag used during the attack by the garrison was the 15 star 15 stripe official flag of the country during this period of American history. See an official replica ZFC

The Continental Colors was the first national flag of the United States, although never officially recognized by the 2nd Continental Congress. Its canton bears a union of the crosses of St. George, symbolizing England, and St. Andrew, symbolizing Scotland. This indicated that Americans still professed loyalty to King George until independence was proclaimed in 1776. The field of alternating red and white horizontal stripes, a design possibly borrowed from the flag of the Sons of Liberty, expressed the unity of the 13 colonies seeking redress of their grievances against Parliament.

The Continental Colors is first known to have been raised during the siege of Boston in the winter of 1775 - 1776. However, because its canton bore the Union Jack, the British initially mistook it as a symbol of submission. The Continental Colors served the United States as a naval ensign and as a garrison flag throughout 1776 and at least until September 1777, three months after the Stars and Stripes was adopted. It received the first salute to the American Flag when the ship "Andrea Doria" was honored by Dutch authorities in the Caribbean in November 1776.

Taken from Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006.

This replica is pieced with red and white stripes and a blue and white canton with a red cross, i.e. the original British Union Jack.