In honour/honor of Canada Day and Independence Day, today we’ll look at the way Canadian and American flags have changed over the years. I hope you learn something that you didn’t know!

Canadian Flags, 1497 – Present

With the exception of the Vikings, the first European explorer to land in what is now Canada was John Cabot (1497). He carried the current flag of England, the Cross of St. George.

In 1534 Jacques Cartier arrived from France, probably bearing the blue fleur-de-lis.

After the Treaty of Paris (1763), France ceded most of its North American territory to England, and the Great Britain Union flag flew in Canada.

In 1801 the Great Britain Union flag became the United Kingdom Union flag (known in Canada as the Royal Union flag) with the addition of the Cross of St. Patrick. This flag was used (though not exclusively) until 1965.

From 1868 until 1921 the Canadian Red Ensign was also used.

It was modified in 1921 when the Coat of Arms of Canada was officially settled, and continued in use until 1957.

In 1957 minor changes were made to the Coat of Arms; most noticeably, the maple leaves were changed from green to red.

In the early 1960s the subject of a distinctly Canadian flag became controversial. (Look up “Great Canadian Flag Debate” to learn all about it.) Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson suggested this design, which became known as the “Pearson Pennant.”

In 1964 the flag committee chose the current flag, designed by George Stanley and based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada. The Maple Leaf was first officially flown on February 15, 1965.

American Flags, 1776 – Present

The first national flag of the United States was the Continental Colors (later known as the Grand Union Flag), which was in use at the time of the Declaration of Independence (1776).

The following year the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution: “Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Francis Hopkinson, a naval flag designer, probably designed the first stars and stripes. Note the six-pointed stars.

Since the Flag Resolution didn’t specify the arrangement of the stars, individual flag makers came up with their own designs. The flag with a circle of thirteen stars is known as the Betsy Ross flag, though there is no historical evidence behind the story of Ross sewing the first American flag.

In 1795 the number of stars and stripes were both increased to 15, since Kentucky and Vermont had been added to the Union.

The flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem (originally “Defense of Fort McHenry”) was the Star-Spangled Banner, also known as the Great Garrison Flag, which flew at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.

The flag was not changed again until 1818, when it was proposed that a new star be added each time a state joined. The number of stripes was reduced to 13 to honour the original Thirteen Colonies.

The flag designed was changed 24 times between 1819 and 1960. The official proportions of the flag and arrangement of the stars was not declared until 1912, so some complicated designs existed. The exact colours were standardized in 1934.

The last time the flag was changed was in 1960 after Hawaii joined the Union.

Possible future flags have been proposed, including this one by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico.

Sources

• Wikipedia (all images)
• CanadaInfo: Flag History
• Historical Flags of Our Ancestors: The Flags of Canada

Whether you’re Canadian or American I hope you had a celebratory long weekend.