Prospect Hill Flag Debate

Part of a series on the
American Revolution
The Committee of Five presents their draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia
Timeline Military leaders Battles
Origins Context Thirteen Colonies Salutary neglect French and Indian War George III Ideas American Enlightenment Republicanism Liberalism "No taxation without representation" Conflict over taxation Sugar Act Currency Act Quartering Acts Stamp Act 1765 Sons of Liberty Stamp Act Congress Declaratory Act Townshend Acts Virginia Association Tea Act Boston Massacre Boston Tea Party Philadelphia Tea Party Intolerable Acts Committees of Correspondence First Continental Congress Continental Association
Revolutionary War Continental Army Continental Navy Minutemen British Army British Royal Navy France Spain Battles Diplomacy Intelligence Treaty of Paris Financial costs
Political developments Loyalists Patriots Role of women Role of African Americans Second Continental Congress 27 colonial grievances Olive Branch Petition Lee Resolution Declaration of Independence (Drafting Signing)
Forming a republic Confederation period Articles of Confederation Perpetual Union Congress of the Confederation Northwest Ordinance Dissent and rebellions Newburgh Conspiracy Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 Shays' Rebellion Paper Money Riot Constitution Annapolis Convention Philadelphia Convention The Federalist Papers Anti-Federalist Papers Raftification Bill of Rights
Legacy United States Atlantic Revolutions American nationalism American civil religion Bicentennial Prospect Hill Flag Debate
United States portal
v t e

According to tradition, the first flag of the United States, the Grand Union Flag ("Continental Colours"), was raised by General George Washington at Prospect Hill in Somerville, Massachusetts, on 1 January 1776, in an attempt to raise the morale of the men of the Continental Army. There was a 76-foot liberty pole situated on Prospect Hill on 22 August 1775 that "was visible from most parts of the American lines, as well as from Boston".^{[1][note 1]} The standard account has been questioned by modern researchers most notably Peter Ansoff, who in 2006 published a paper entitled "The Flag on Prospect Hill" where he advances the argument that Washington flew the Union Jack ("British Union Flag") and not the Continental Colours that bears 13 stripes.^[3] Others, such as Byron DeLear, have argued in favour of the traditional version of events.^[4][5][6]

There is a Prospect Hill Monument that was erected in 1903^{[7][note 2]} and annual flag-raising ceremonies involving American Revolutionary War reenactors are held at Prospect Hill on New Year's Day.^[9]

Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).