Ensign of the United States
ensign | |
Proportion | 10:19 |
---|---|
Adopted | June 14, 1777 (13-star version) July 4, 1960 (50-star version) |
Design | Thirteen horizontal stripes alternating red and white; in the canton, 50 white stars on a blue field |
Designed by | Unknown, possibly Francis Hopkinson |
The ensign of the United States is the
The U.S. Yacht Ensign (a variation of the national ensign; see below) is often used in place of the national flag by U.S. pleasure craft when operating within U.S. waters; this flag was legally required for licensed yachts from 1848 to 1980, and the practice continues among all U.S. pleasure craft in U.S. waters by longstanding historical use and custom. Additionally, a few smaller pleasure craft operated by members of the United States Power Squadrons will fly the U.S. Power Squadrons flag as an ensign in inland waters in lieu of the national flag (see below). All vessels of U.S. national character should display the national ensign when operating in international and non-U.S. waters.
Military ensigns
The Grand Union Flag was the de facto first U.S. naval ensign. It was first raised aboard Continental Navy Commodore Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred on the Delaware River on December 3, 1775; John Paul Jones, then the ship's senior lieutenant, personally claimed this honor.[2]
The current "Stars and Stripes" design was first adopted when the
In the 19th century the ensigns were quite large; the biggest ensign in 1870 measured 19 by 36 feet (5.8 by 11.0 m). By the early 20th century, as warships took on distinctive forms and could no longer be easily mistaken for merchantmen at a distance, ensigns began to shrink and today are a fraction of their earlier size — the largest ensign for daily use on ships is now 5 by 9.5 feet (1.5 by 2.9 m).[6]
During the 19th century, for its smaller-sized ensigns, the U.S. Navy used a 13-star flag which became known as "boat flag" due to its predominant use on boats (i.e., launches, gigs and tenders). The Navy appears to have started this practice in the 1850s and is formally documented in the Navy Regulations of 1864. The reason for the lesser number of stars was so that the stars in a smaller size flag would have greater visibility at a distance. Because they flew smaller-sized ensigns, the U.S. Navy's first submarines and destroyers in the early 20th century also used the 13-star ensigns.
Coast Guard Ensign and the Customs Ensign
The
These two present-day flags had their origins in a flag that was designed by
From 1910 onwards, the U.S. Customs Service has continued to use the plain version of the revenue ensign, while the Revenue Cutter Service (which in 1915 merged with the United States Life-Saving Service to form the Coast Guard) used the defaced version (version with the badge).
The U.S. Coast Guard inherited the "badged" version of the ensign in 1915 and, in 1927, the cutter badge was updated to use the Coast Guard's own emblem. The Coast Guard badge was slightly modified in 1966. The Coast Guard continues to use the "badged" or "defaced" version of the ensign, although it is now flown by Coast Guard cutters and facilities in conjunction with the U.S. national ensign, and not as a stand-alone ensign.
The design of both flags' (Customs and Coast Guard) cantons (i.e., the eagle and stars) was altered in 1951 to make them conform to "the arms of the United States," as was specified in Wolcott's original design statement in 1799.
Civilian ensigns
Striped merchant ensign
Information about early U.S. civil ensigns is scant, but there is evidence that at the time of the American Revolution some U.S. merchant ships flew a horizontally striped flag of 13 alternating red and white stripes.[12] These flags with vertical stripes are similar to ones flown by the Sons of Liberty[13] (Such ensigns may also have served as early U.S. naval jacks in conjunction with the Grand Union Flag used as a naval ensign.) In the early years of the United States, ensigns were not yet standardized, leading to number of known variations, such as the Serapis ensign used by John Paul Jones.
Yacht ensign
A modification of the national flag and ensign but with a
The legal requirement for licensed yachts to fly the Yacht Ensign that was part of United States statute (46 U.S.C. section 109) was repealed by the Vessel Documentation Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–594), which removed several legal provisions pertaining to the by-then very rare category of "licensed yachts" and treated all documented recreational vessels the same. Nevertheless, owing to its long usage by all U.S. yachts, as well as the fact that the freedom-from-clearance privilege first extended to "licensed yachts" in 1848 had long since been extended to all U.S. pleasure craft regardless of whether they are federally documented or state numbered (see 19 U.S.C. sec. 1441), the yacht ensign is widely flown by many U.S. yachts and pleasure boats in U.S. waters today, continuing a tradition that dates back to the mid-nineteenth century.[17][18] The states of Arkansas,[19] Maryland,[20] and Washington[21] have each adopted flag protocols which provide that the U.S. ensign "and the U.S. Yacht Ensign, with a canton of 13 stars, are interchangeable on all types of recreational vessels while in national waters." Similarly, the United States Power Squadrons' guide to flags and flag etiquette,[22] prepared in consultation with the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, New York Yacht Club, and others, provides that the Yacht Ensign may be flown as the ensign by U.S. recreational boats of all types and sizes instead of the national ensign in domestic waters, but that the ordinary national ensign should be worn in international or foreign waters.
Power Squadrons ensign
The United States Power Squadrons (or USPS) is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to improve maritime safety and enjoyability through classes in seamanship, navigation, and other related subjects. In 1914, it adopted its own flag, which was then patented in 1916. This flag may be worn as a signal flag on the signal hoist, typically in the starboard rigging. Despite its name and the original intent of its designers, it was never recognized by the U.S. government or navy as a national ensign; however, some smaller boats will wear this flag in place of a national ensign, usually because they lack a mast and do not operate outside home waters.[23] The U.S. Power Squadrons manual of flag etiquette states, "The preferred location for flying the USPS ensign is the starboard yardarm or spreader halyard. It may be worn there day and night."
State Maritime Flags
In April 1776, the
Massachusetts and Maine are the only two states with their own maritime flags. These flags are not "ensigns" in the true sense of the word because they are not flags of national character, and are not used as such; instead, they are special versions of the state flag for use afloat. The state laws that create them do not use the term "ensign" to describe them, but use the term "flag". The Massachusetts law describes the flag as “The naval and maritime flag of the commonwealth,” Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 2, § 3, while Maine's state law says: “The flag to be known as the merchant and marine flag of the State shall be of white, at the top of which in blue letters shall be the motto “Dirigo”; beneath the motto shall be the representation of a pine tree in green color” Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 1, § 207. Although these flags are intended for use afloat, they are not ensigns and should not be called such.
See also
- Flags of the U.S. states#Current state ensigns
References
- ^ National Colors Archived January 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, by Joseph McMillan; from Sea Flags. Retrieved February 27, 2006.
- ^ Leepson, Marc. (2005). Flag: An American Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 16.
- ^ "Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, 8:464".
- ^ See Flag of the United States for details.
- ^ "Twenty-One Gun Salute". Archived from the original on June 20, 2000.
- ^ Naval History & Heritage Command (April 10, 2001). "Frequently Asked Questions: Commissioning Pennant".
- ^ Navy Dept, United States (January 2, 1917). "General Order #257: Discontinuance of Thirteen Star Boat Flags and Design of President's Flag". General orders of Navy Department, series of 1913.
- Naval History & Heritage Command. "Flag Sizes". Archived from the originalon September 23, 2009.
- ^ Smith, Captain H. D. (1898). "The United States Revenue-Cutter Service". The Century: 1897: 573–584. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Captain H. D. (1898). "The United States Revenue-Cutter Service". The Century: 1897: 573–584. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Kern, Florence; Voulgaris, Barbara (July 1990). Traditions, 200 years of history (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Coast Guard Historian's office. p. 4. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ The U.S. Navy's First Jack Archived October 4, 2012, at the Library of Congress Web Archives, dated July 28, 2003 by the Naval Historical Center. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
- ^ "Liberty Flags (U.S.)". www.crwflags.com.
- ^ "Federal Yachts Ensign Act of 1848 ~ P.L. 30-141" (PDF). 9 Stat. 274 ~ House Bill 178. Legis★Works. August 7, 1848. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. House Bill - H.R. 178". American Memory. P.L. 30-141 ~ 9 Stat. 274. U.S. Library of Congress. February 8, 1848.
- ^ "YACHTING ENSIGN". New York Yacht Club. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ Yachting Flags Archived April 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, by Joseph McMillan; from Sea Flags. Retrieved February 27, 2006.
- ^ Yacht Ensign (U.S.) at Flags of the World. Retrieved February 26, 2006.
- ^ Protocol For The Arkansas State Flag Archived January 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine from Arkansas Secretary of State website. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
- ^ Protocol for Maryland's Flag Archived February 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine from Maryland Secretary of State website. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
- ^ Use of the U.S. Ensign and Washington State Flag on Recreational Boats" from Washington Secretary of State website. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
- ^ "Flag and Etiquette Committee". www.usps.org.
- ^ Power Squadron Flags (U.S.) at Flags of the World. Retrieved February 26, 2006.
- ^ "Section 3". www.mass.gov.