Black History Month in February provides the opportunity to recall events that connected Black Americans to flags. One story is horrible; the other, inspiring. LYNCHING After the end of the Civil War Flags and the emancipation of slaves, many angry Southerners avenged their defeat by persecuting Blacks, denying their rights and lynching them for supposed… continue
One hundred and fifty-five years ago, the U.S. got a new state – and a state of war. The state was Kansas, which celebrated its addition to the Union in 1861 with expressions of loyalty to the American flag and preparations to become a battleground of the North vs. the South. An iconic moment of… continue
The state of New Jersey, the city of Trenton and Rutgers University boast flags of great appeal and historical interest. RUTGERS The design of Rutgers University’s flag, with its large “R” and date of 1766, was approved in 1965, just a year before the bicentennial of the institution’s founding. This year marks the school’s 250th… continue
Firefighters, like other Americans, love flags, but that doesn’t mean they’re always ready to rescue one. As an example, take the curious case of a banner that flew away a century ago. An American flag outside the Grand Army of the Republic post in Springfield, Massachusetts, was blown off its mast by a strong windstorm… continue
Uncle Sam’s gravesite, located at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, N.Y., has a new 40-foot flagpole and a fresh American flag to go with it, thanks to a windstorm and Gettysburg Flag Works of East Greenbush. The installation is perfectly timed: 2016 marks the 150th anniversary of Uncle Sam’s birth. Oakwood describes itself as “one of… continue