A question for Americans.

Help required , please.

Assuming the nationality flag flown by the U.S.Navy in the 1840's to be the then current version of the Stars and Stripes (is that correct ?), would then the stars portion of it ever be referred to as the "Union" part ? If so, is that part of the flag still referred by that name today ?

Also, the display of the British Union flag flown upside is taken as a distress signal. Does the same apply to the Stars and Stripes ?

Lastly, is the Stars and Stripes flag known as "Old Glory" to the general exclusion of anything else ?

Cheers,
BG

 

in 1840 the flag would have fewer stars as there were not the 50 states back then.

There is a star for each state, and a stripe for each of the 13? founding states.

FNG

 

Yes

Yes

Old Glory, or the Stars and Stripes will work. I can't recall any other nicknames off the top of my head.

That is correct! Originally, thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, for each of the founding colonies/states. Then, an additional star for each state.

 

There was a time when they also added another stripe for each new state, but they realized fairly quickly that doing so was just not going to work (imagine a US flag with 50 stripes!!!). So Congress passed a law keeping the stripes at thirteen for the original thirteen states, and just adding a star for each new state.

 

The US Navy also had a flag called the Navy Jack that was just a blue flag with the stars on it. This was usually flown from the bow of the ship.

 

True, but I'll add the caveat that it's only when the ship is in port. That flag flies from the bow, and the National Ensign flies from the stern. As soon as the ship is underway, those two flags are hauled down as the National Ensign is raised from the mainmast. Well, figuratively speaking, anyway.

Hence the word passed aboard all USN ships:

"Underway, shift colors!"
"Moored, shift colors!"

 

"Captain" Charles Wilkes

Thanks. guys, this is all very helpful. One more query, though - it is mentioned above that the original thirteen were known as "states". Were they not more correctly known as "colonies" ?

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No, I am wrong ! TWO more queries !

Everybody, even us Brits. know about Lewis and Clark ( I personally followed a large part of their trail in a Dodge pickup back in the '80's ), but how widespread in the USA is knowledge of the exploration in 1840 of the Pacific by the group led by U.S.Navy "Captain" Charles Wilkes ?
Any one heard of 'em ?

BG

 

They were known as "colonies" until we threw off the imperialist yoke of the crown!

I've heard of Wilkes, but I'm not overly familiar with his exploits.

 

Captain Charles Wilkes was quite an explorer. He discovered what is now known as Wilkes Land in Antarctica, and mapped much of that continent's coast, along with the West Coast voyage previously mentioned. He also served in the initial stages of the American Civil War, almost causing war between Britain and the USA when he stopped the British mail steamer TRENT and removed two Confederate commissioners who were travelling to England aboard her. The tempest blew over when Lincoln quietly released the two Confederates, apologized to the British government, and disavowed Wiles's actions. IIRC, Wilkes retired shortly thereafter.

 

Wilkes

Of course, I should have guessed that the phrase "colonies" rapidly became rdundant just as soon as we Limeys had our arses kicked out of the US of A !!

Getting back to Wilkes, though, the book written about Wilkes' expedition to Antartica by the American writer Nathaniel Philbrick, makes for an absolutely astonishing read ( as does the same writer's book about a Nantucket whaler sunk by a whale that rammed it ! ). That Wilkes' could have done so much, pissed off so many powerful people, and yet retain his commission, is an encouragement to us all. Clearly the man was quite unhinged, but who is to say that that may well not be an essential part of what constitutes a brilliant explorer !
Cheers,
BG

 

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Australia was created by the successful insurrection of the british citizens from america and their pursuit of the proposition of not paying taxes ,
God bless them
Their independence saw the end of the transportation of criminals to the americans shores to work as bonded servants ,
the young republic proudly decided to manufacture their own criminals and use africans for the bonding servitude

The gaols of the old country were groaning with the reject of the legal system, a legal constipation of sort
a Mr Banks proposed to transport this riff raff to the newly discovered shores of botany bay ,world's end !
as far as possible from the london stews and there to redeem their souls with sermons , starvation rations , hard labor and copious whipping .

My beloved country was thus created by thieves , obviously unsuccesful and mostly irish



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jeag.... american britons made australia independent from england ? because of a tax revolt ,really? ..i thought it was pickpockets ,prosttutes and prison gaurds ..and why are you called diggers and cobbers and why do you pin up only one side of your cowboy hats and always wear kakhi shorts and shirts ? and why would you waltz with any woman named matilda when all those lil blonde sheilas and barbies are all arround ,,and why throw shrimp on barbie but not on matilda or sheila ? is this some form of courtship? american girls love to be wined and dined ,lobster and shrimp work especially well imo... but throwing any kind of shellfish on them would be considered a major breech of etiquite in most cases ... and ... how come your blacks dont box , play basketball ,football ,baseball or even sing and dance ??? ..(jumping arround on one foot while playing a jews harp nekkid and throwing a curved stick at lizards dont really count ,imo)...KRIKEY!! ...sry for all the questions...

 

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On the 26th of January 1788 the first fleet commanded by captain Phillip and made up of 11 ships loaded with convicts arrived in Botany bay ,
As the place was a dump , contrarily to previous reports ,Phillip moved the whole party to port Jackson at a place called Sydney cove , a truly magnificent harbor where he raised the flag ( British ) an claimed half the continent .
Two weeks later , they unloaded the women ...
records are confused , there was a summer thunderstorm with torrential downpour and great lightning strikes .
The discipline seems to have evaporated , some people broke to the rum stores , soldiers officers and convicts were chasing and taking screaming women
order was restored the following morning ,
The soldiers were policemen and jail guards , they were not paid as there was no cash in the place , the whole economy was based on rum and rum coupons as a currency , the regiment was called the rum corps and notoriously mutinied against captain Bligh of HMS " Bounty " fame
He had been made governor and was too honest and too much a sticker for discipline.
His successor ,called Macquarie , broke the naval governor tradition, a Scotsman general of some distinction he was a harsh disciplinarian , struck with syphilis who became slowly mad .
The convicts loved him for his rough justice ,his eccentricities and his habit of using the best man for the job no matter what he had done ,
he even wanted a crown councilor ,transported for some crime ,to become the first lord justice of the land !
London was not amused .

That's pretty much the spirit of the place.


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RUM ,BUGGERY AND THE LASH ? i thought that was just in the royal navy..giant man eating crocidiles and sharks ,poisonous snakes and attack spiders ,ants that jump on you with wasp stingers in their tails ..now i see why you all go on walkabout with your hats pinned up and kakii shorts ..CRIKEY !! oz is truely a land of enchantment ..billabongs ,boomarangs and digireedoos ...and lots of pretty young sheep too ( are ewes also called sheilas?)...plus you have that really big red rock and a super fancy opera house and giant cans of beer and vegimite sandwiches ..mad max and barbies covered in shrimp ..toilets thatt flush backwards !!

 

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We also are notorious teller of tall tales , living in the most urbanized country in the world ,
But overall ,the beer is cold , the football is good ( league rugby around here ) nobody get the lash who doesn't ask for it and we are very conscious of living in god's own secret hideout .

It is a lie that we indulge in congress with sheep , it is our dear neighborhoods and dim younger brothers the kiwis over in new Zealand who do so

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also polocrosse

don't forget polocrosse. a wonderful sport from down under. for those poor souls that have not yet been enlightened its lacrosse played on horseback. fast and furious and a hell of a lot of fun. here in the US we have two groups playing, the USPC and the pony clubs. there's now a world cup for it [ the Aussie team wins but the rest of us are getting better.

 

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didn't know about polocross , sound fun !

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well the kiwis ive talked to claim that there is not even a minimum age of consent for a young sheep in australia (three years in NZ ) ..also they claim the sheep are much prettier and longer legged than sheep in oz ..

 

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They are NOT prettier they just are cleaner , all this rain wash them constantly
around here , in alternate years, the trees fight over dogs ! and yes I know it's a Texan joke !

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