ZFC Item Section - U.S. 20 Star Navy Boat Flag & Ensign, 1818.

Exhibits Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Exhibition Copy	First Presidio Exhibit (ZFC0421) Twenty-Star United States Navy Boat Ensign Date: 1818 Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; all hand sewn Comment: With the close of the War for American Independence, the Continental Congress dismantled the naval forces that it and the states had raised. However, when, in 1798 when war with France seemed imminent, the new Congress re-authorized the United States Navy. During the War of 1812 with Great Britain the Navy performed gallantly, and Congress did not disband it after the conflict ended. With the close of the War, the Navy Department assigned squadrons of its warships to patrol various areas of the ocean to protect American commercial interests. The ships of these squadrons usually returned to a specific home port where there was a navy yard for the construction and refitting of vessels. These navy yards were responsible for furnishing the flags needed by each ship, whose size and number depended on the rating of the vessel. The larger the ship, the greater the number and size of the ensigns, pennants, jacks, signal flags, and foreign saluting flags the ship received. The sizes were at first determined as a dimension of the flag on its fly (length). The smallest flags made at these navy yard were for the small oar powered boats that were carried on larger vessels. This flag is a 6 foot ensign, indicating that its fly dimension is six feet long. As one of the smallest flags made by the Navy, it qualified as a boat flag. Its twenty stars are arranged in four horizontal aligned rows of five stars each, as specified in a Navy circular issued on September 18th, 1818. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0421) in 1997, ex- N. Flayderman Collection. "The exhibition text was written by Howard Michael Madaus, Exhibition Director of the ZFC's Flag Center, utilizing Zaricor Flag Collection archives. " Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 Gallery II (ZFC0421) 20-Star United States Navy Boat Flag Date: 1818 20 Stars: July 4, 1818-July 3, 1819 (statehood: Tennessee June 1, 1796; Ohio March 1, 1803; Louisiana April 30, 1812; Indiana December 11, 1816; Mississippi December 10, 1817) Media: Printed cotton with two additional hand-sewn stars Comment: With the close of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress dismantled the naval forces that it and the states had established. However, in 1798 a war with France seemed imminent and consequently the new Congress re-authorized the United States Navy. During the War of 1812 with Great Britain, the Navy performed gallantly and Congress did not disband it after the conflict ended. In the early 19th century the Navy Department assigned squadrons of warships to patrol areas of the Atlantic Ocean to protect American commercial interests. The ships of these squadrons usually returned to a specific homeport where navy yards had been established for the construction and refitting of vessels. The smallest flags made at these navy yards were for the small oar-powered boats carried on larger vessels. This 6-foot ensign was six feet long. As one of the smallest of the flags made by the Navy, it qualified as a boat flag. The stars are arranged in four aligned horizontal rows of five stars each, as specified in the Navy circular issued on September 10, 1818. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0421) in 1997, formerly in the Norm Flayderman Collection. "The exhibition text was written by Howard Michael Madaus, Exhibition Director of the ZFC's Flag Center, utilizing Zaricor Flag Collection archives. " Winterthur Exhibit Betsy Ross The Life Behind the Legend October 2, 2010 January 2, 2011 Both iconic and controversial, Betsy Ross is one of the best known figures of the American Revolutionary eraand also the least understood. The story of Betsy Ross and the making of the first American flag was introduced to public audiences by her grandson William Canby in 1870, at a talk before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The legend that grew cast Betsy as a simple seamstress honored by an unexpected chance to contribute to the independence movement. But the real Elizabeth Griscom Ross Ashburn Claypoole (17521836) would not have recognized the Betsy Ross of popular historical imagination. Among the early flag makers of the rebellion, Ross also fabricated cartridge cases for American soldiers and was among the most important professional flag makers of the new republic. She labored for more than five decades as an upholsterer, crafting chair cases and covers and curtains and blinds as well as fabricating thousands of yards of fringe and tassels. Co-curated by Marla Miller (University of Massachusetts) and Winterthur's Linda Eaton and Katie Knowles, this exhibition reveals the life and work of this celebrated flag maker and upholsterer. Betsy Ross and the Making of America: Biography by Marla Miller Released in spring 2010, Marla Miller's book, Betsy Ross and the Making of America, is the first scholarly biography of the iconic figure. Miller is a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and director of the Public History Program there. Find out more about her here. Hear Miller speak about Betsy Ross in this June 14, 2010, interview with WFCR's Bob Paquette. Buy Betsy Ross and the Making of America from Winterthur's Museum Store. Your purchase benefits museum programming.

Exhibits

Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.

Exhibition Copy

First Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC0421)
Twenty-Star United States Navy Boat Ensign
Date: 1818
Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; all hand sewn
Comment: With the close of the War for American Independence, the Continental Congress dismantled the naval forces that it and the states had raised. However, when, in 1798 when war with France seemed imminent, the new Congress re-authorized the United States Navy. During the War of 1812 with Great Britain the Navy performed gallantly, and Congress did not disband it after the conflict ended. With the close of the War, the Navy Department assigned squadrons of its warships to patrol various areas of the ocean to protect American commercial interests. The ships of these squadrons usually returned to a specific home port where there was a navy yard for the construction and refitting of vessels. These navy yards were responsible for furnishing the flags needed by each ship, whose size and number depended on the rating of the vessel. The larger the ship, the greater the number and size of the ensigns, pennants, jacks, signal flags, and foreign saluting flags the ship received. The sizes were at first determined as a dimension of the flag on its fly (length). The smallest flags made at these navy yard were for the small oar powered boats that were carried on larger vessels. This flag is a 6 foot ensign, indicating that its fly dimension is six feet long. As one of the smallest flags made by the Navy, it qualified as a boat flag. Its twenty stars are arranged in four horizontal aligned rows of five stars each, as specified in a Navy circular issued on September 18th, 1818.
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0421) in 1997, ex- N. Flayderman Collection.

"The exhibition text was written by Howard Michael Madaus, Exhibition Director of the ZFC's Flag Center, utilizing Zaricor Flag Collection archives. "

Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 Gallery II
(ZFC0421)
20-Star United States Navy Boat Flag
Date: 1818 20 Stars: July 4, 1818-July 3, 1819 (statehood: Tennessee June 1, 1796; Ohio March 1, 1803; Louisiana April 30, 1812; Indiana December 11, 1816; Mississippi December 10, 1817)
Media: Printed cotton with two additional hand-sewn stars
Comment: With the close of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress dismantled the naval forces that it and the states had established. However, in 1798 a war with France seemed imminent and consequently the new Congress re-authorized the United States Navy. During the War of 1812 with Great Britain, the Navy performed gallantly and Congress did not disband it after the conflict ended. In the early 19th century the Navy Department assigned squadrons of warships to patrol areas of the Atlantic Ocean to protect American commercial interests. The ships of these squadrons usually returned to a specific homeport where navy yards had been established for the construction and refitting of vessels.
The smallest flags made at these navy yards were for the small oar-powered boats carried on larger vessels. This 6-foot ensign was six feet long. As one of the smallest of the flags made by the Navy, it qualified as a boat flag. The stars are arranged in four aligned horizontal rows of five stars each, as specified in the Navy circular issued on September 10, 1818.
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0421) in 1997, formerly in the Norm Flayderman Collection.

"The exhibition text was written by Howard Michael Madaus, Exhibition Director of the ZFC's Flag Center, utilizing Zaricor Flag Collection archives. "

Winterthur Exhibit
Betsy Ross
The Life Behind the Legend
October 2, 2010 January 2, 2011
Both iconic and controversial, Betsy Ross is one of the best known figures of the American Revolutionary eraand also the least understood.
The story of Betsy Ross and the making of the first American flag was introduced to public audiences by her grandson William Canby in 1870, at a talk before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The legend that grew cast Betsy as a simple seamstress honored by an unexpected chance to contribute to the independence movement. But the real Elizabeth Griscom Ross Ashburn Claypoole (17521836) would not have recognized the Betsy Ross of popular historical imagination.
Among the early flag makers of the rebellion, Ross also fabricated cartridge cases for American soldiers and was among the most important professional flag makers of the new republic. She labored for more than five decades as an upholsterer, crafting chair cases and covers and curtains and blinds as well as fabricating thousands of yards of fringe and tassels.
Co-curated by Marla Miller (University of Massachusetts) and Winterthur's Linda Eaton and Katie Knowles, this exhibition reveals the life and work of this celebrated flag maker and upholsterer.
Betsy Ross and the Making of America: Biography by Marla Miller
Released in spring 2010, Marla Miller's book, Betsy Ross and the Making of America, is the first scholarly biography of the iconic figure. Miller is a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and director of the Public History Program there. Find out more about her here.
Hear Miller speak about Betsy Ross in this June 14, 2010, interview with WFCR's Bob Paquette.
Buy Betsy Ross and the Making of America from Winterthur's Museum Store. Your purchase benefits museum programming.

Publications Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Publication Copy	Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 36. 20-Star United States Navy Boat Flag With the close of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress dismantled the naval forces that it and the states had raised. However, in 1798 a war with France seemed imminent and consequently the new Congress re-authorized the United States Navy. During the War of 1812 with Great Britain, the Navy performed gallantly and Congress did not disband it after the conflict ended. In the early 19th century the Navy Department assigned squadrons of warships to patrol areas of the Atlantic Ocean to protect American commercial interests. The ships of these squadrons usually returned to a specific homeport where navy yards had been established for the construction and refitting of vessels. The smallest flags made at these navy yards were for the small oar-powered boats carried on larger vessels. This 6-foot ensign was six feet long. As one of the smallest of the flags made by the Navy, it qualified as a boat flag. The stars are arranged in four aligned horizontal rows of five stars each, as specified in the Navy circular issued on September 10, 1818, during the presidency of James Monroe. Date: 1818 Size: 39.5" hoist x 72" fly 20 Stars: July 4, 1818 July 3, 1819 (statehood: Tennessee June 1,1796; Ohio March 1, 1803; Louisiana April 30, 1812; Indiana December 11, 1816; Mississippi December 10, 1817) Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1997, formerly in the Flayderman Collection. ZFC0421

Publications

Publication Copy

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 36.
20-Star United States
Navy Boat Flag
With the close of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress dismantled the naval forces that it and the states had raised. However, in 1798 a war with France seemed imminent and consequently the new Congress re-authorized the United States Navy. During the War of 1812 with Great Britain, the Navy performed gallantly and Congress did not disband it after the conflict ended. In the early 19th century the Navy Department assigned squadrons of warships to patrol areas of the Atlantic Ocean to protect American commercial interests. The ships of these squadrons usually returned to a specific homeport where navy yards had been established for the construction and refitting of vessels. The smallest flags made at these navy yards were for the small oar-powered boats carried on larger vessels. This 6-foot ensign was six feet long. As one of the smallest of the flags made by the Navy, it qualified as a boat flag. The stars are arranged in four aligned horizontal rows of five stars each, as specified in the Navy circular issued on September 10, 1818, during the presidency of James Monroe.
Date: 1818
Size: 39.5" hoist x 72" fly
20 Stars: July 4, 1818 July 3, 1819 (statehood: Tennessee June 1,1796; Ohio March 1, 1803; Louisiana April 30, 1812; Indiana December 11, 1816; Mississippi December 10, 1817)
Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1997, formerly in the Flayderman Collection.
ZFC0421