Massachusetts Commonwealth Militia Color, 1888.
This is an early version of the Massachusetts State Flag, predating the "official" adoption by at least two years. This silk presentation flag has 2 1/2" golden yellow silk, military style, hand knotted fringe, and is likely a Commonwealth of Massachusetts color intended for militia use.

This MA state flag specifies that it was presented to "Edward A. White in Memory of his brother Richard F. White, 16th Regiment Mass. Volunteer July 1888".To whom and upon what occasion this flag was presented, remains unknown.

Massachusetts was one of the first states to fly a state flag during the Revolutionary War period. It was an official naval flag depicting white with a green pine tree and the motto "An Appeal to Heaven" and was adopted in April, 1776. This set the pattern for most subsequent Massachusetts flags to have white backgrounds. During the American Civil War, MA regiments carried white colors bearing the state arms, often in full color.

In the 1890's, Massachusetts formally adopted a state flag for use on land (as differentiated from those flags of the state's well-established maritime traditions). The field is white with the obverse showing the now familiar gold Indian on a blue shield. The reverse had the green pine tree on a blue shield (in addition to the star, ribbon, motto, etc.) This design thus appears to be a combination of the coat of arms as used on the state seal and Civil War Regimental flags, and naval flags, which depicted the already iconic pine tree.

The final form of the seal had been determined in a state-wide contest. The arms of the commonwealth are cirlcled by the words: Sigillum Reipublicae Massachusettensis" (Seal of the Republic of Massachusetts). Governor John Hancock proffered this design on December 13, 1780, and the General Court made it official on June 4, 1885.

The legislation stipulated that "a shield having a blue field or surface with an Indian thereon, dressed in a shirt, leggings and moccasins, holding in his right hand a bow, and in his left hand an arrow, point downward, all of gold; and, in the upper corner of the field, above his right arm, a silver star with five points. The crest rests on a torse of blue and gold, on which in gold is a right arm, bent at the elbow, clothed and ruffled, with the hand grasping a broadsword". The Native American model used was of the Algonquin nation and the shield design is "Plantagenet." The Algonquin man's arrow points down, signifying a preference for peace. The star represents Massachusetts as one of the original thirteen states (it was sixth). The arm raising the downward-angled sword again suggests a ready defense of peace and justice, for we see the motto that is written in gold on a blue ribbon around the bottom of the shield: "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" ("By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty"). These words are ascribed to the English soldier and politician Algernon Sydney in 1659, in the "Book of Mottoes" in the King's Library of Copenhagen, Denmark. See ZFC0344 for staff. The Provincial Congress adopted the motto in 1775.

ZFC Significant Flag

Provenance:
Presented to Edward A. White, 1888.
Acquired by Norm Flayderman.
Flayderman Collection, Fort Lauderdale, FL, until 1997.
Sold via Butterfields & Butterfields, San Francisco, CA, to the Zaricor Flag Collection 1997.



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