Alton, Mo. – On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, David Manrrique spoke at the Alton Public Library about the flags America has had and their importance. Since before the birth of our nation, flags have played a significant role in the development of our nation and other nations.
Background
David Manrrique had been in the military for twenty years before he recently retired honorably. He now teaches at the Alton Public High School.
Founding Our Country
Before we were the United States, our forefathers used flags to communicate. Settlers could tell different nations by the flags.
The earliest flags featured specific colors, often resembling those of Britain. Early flags were the ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ ones. The snake was special to the new colonies and represented danger, something on the offensive, not defensive. A yellow background signified a warning. The rattlesnake had thirteen rattles, one for each colony. Â These were a way of speaking to their mother country far overseas.
A later flag adopted the thirteen stripes.
More Flags
Manrique spoke of flags flown before our independence fervor began. An interesting flag was the ‘An Appeal To Heaven” flag. An Eastern Pine was alone on a field of white. At the time, these trees were massive, and the British harvested them without compensating the colonists. The idea behind this flag was that the people appealed to the government, to the king, and to the parliament. No one answered their grievances. So they are appealing to God. This is still the Navy ship’s flag.
At one time, a household flew a smallpox flag to warn the redcoats to stay away.
Flags symbolize nations, feelings, and future plans. From the colors to the images on them, people express themselves. A flag is not to be taken lightly.
