Book, The History of the National Flag of the United States of America

The History of the National Flag of the United States is considered the first book solely dedicated to the history of the Stars and Stripes.

An American soldier and grandson of Alexander Hamilton, Schuyler Hamilton, wrote the book after Senator Daniel Webster asked Hamilton’s boss, General Winfield Scott, about the origins of the American Flag. Through extensive research and the use of colored illustrations, Hamilton traced the history of various flags that flew before, during, and after the American Revolution, including a flag with coiled rattlesnake on a yellow field and the words, "Don't Tread on Me." This was also the last book checked out of the Library of Congress by Jefferson Davis before he quit the U.S. Senate to lead the Confederacy during the Civil War.

This book was on view September 30, 2016 through January 16, 2017 as part of American Flags, the first Bullock Museum exhibition to explore the transformation of the many variations of the red, white, and blue into the flag of today.