Description

Antique Grand Union Flag

Large framed authentic antique Grand Union Flag from Centennial time period 1876.  Made of heavy weight cotton material. The stripes are hand cut and double line treadle sewn. Has two hand made hand pressed brass grommets. Made by Annin, they have been making flags for the military and the government since 1847. Beautiful flag, has lots of wear, age and use showing on it as seen from photos.

The Grand Union flag is the first flag that flew over the Thirteen Colonies which after winning The Revolutionary War with Britain became the United States. It was a combination of the British Flag and 13 stripes representing the thirteen Colonies. It was first flown by ships of the American Colonial Fleet on the Delaware River. On December 3, 1775 it was raised aboard Capt. Esek Hopkin’s flagship Alfred by John Paul Jones, then a navy lieutenant. Later the flag was raised on the liberty pole at Prospect Hill, Boston, which was near George Washington’s headquarters in Cambridge, MA. It was the unofficial national flag on July 4, 1776, Our first Independence Day. It remained the unofficial national flag and ensign of the American Navy until June 14, 1777 when the Continental Congress authorized the Stars and Stripes.