Texas Flag History

 History of the Lone Star Flag of Texas as illustrated in various primary documents.

OFFICIAL.

AN ACT,

 Adopting a National Seal and Standard for the Republic of Texas.

   Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in congress assembled, That for the future the national seal of this republic shall consist of a isngle star with the letters "Repiblic of Texas'" circular on said seal, which said seal shall also be circular.

   Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, &c.  That for the future there shall be a national flag, to be denominated the "National Standard of Texas," the conformation of which shall be an azure ground, with a large golden star central.

   Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, &c.  That the national flag for the naval service for the Republic of Texas as adopted by the President at Harrisburg on the ninth day of April eighteen hundred and thirty six, the conformation of which is union blue, star central, thirteen stripes prolonged, alternate red and white, be, and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed and adopted as the future national flag for the naval service for the Republic of Texas.

   Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, &c.  That this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

IRA INGRAM,

Speaker of the House of Representatives

RICHARD ELLIS,

Pres. pro. tem of Senate.

Approved December 10, 1836.

SAM. HOUSTON, 

   See the December 22, 1836 edition of the Telegraph and Texas Register newspaper, Volume 1, Number 48, published at Columbia, Texas.

Third Congress-First Session

In Senate

January 4, 1839

   "...Mr. Jones from the committee to whom was referred the act fixing the national standard and seal, reported a substitute, and report as follows:

 

   The special committee to whom the act amending the act entitled an act adopting a national seal and standard for the republic of Texas, approved on the 10^th December, 1836 was referred, beg leave to report:

 

   That they have investigated the expediency of amending the act, contemplated by the act submitted to them, and they have come to a conviction of the necessity of so amending the law, as to change the present form of the national seal and standard of the republic, for motives which must appear self-evident to every reflecting mind to be of the highest importance in national point of view.

 

   The committee beg leave to make some remarks of the ground upon which their conclusion is founded, and are as follows:

 

   In the early part of the year 1836, when the army and navy of the republic were engaged in the war against the enemy, which resulted in the achievement of our Independence, the President ad interim devised the national flag and seal as it were, in case of emergency, adopting the flag of the United States of America, with little variation, which act was subsequently ratified by the law of 10^th December 1836.  The then adopted flag was expedient for the time being, and has in many instances, been beneficial to our navy and merchantmen when encountered by the enemy’s forces, on account of being so much blended with the flag of the United States of America; but the emergency has passed, and the future prospects of Texas are of such a flattering nature, that the NATIONAL INDEPEDENCE requires that her arms, seal, and standard assume also an independent character by a form which will not blend them with those of any other nation.

 

   Besides these considerations, the committee would beg to state that inasmuch as the Propositions made by this Republic in her incipient stage of national existence, to the United States of America, for an annexation to the American Confederacy has been withdrawn by the Minister Plenipotentiary of this government at the Court of Washington, and as the wish of the majority of the people of Texas, so far as it is publicly known, is in favor of sustaining an independent nation among the nations of the earth, and of the transition of the SINGLE STAR into the American Constellation, and the emmerging of the THIRTEEN TEXIAN STRIPES into the Twenty-six Stripes of the U. S America inexpedient.  The committee are convinced of the necessity of adopting a separate and distinct standard and arms for this republic, by so embellishing the present one as to fortify the SINGLE STAR with an Olive and Live Oak Branches, being emblems of peace and the materials of our strong arm of defence in war, and also indigenous of our soil; also the flag, as proposed by the act, emblematical of peace and friendship, or of war.  All maritime nations have adopted the national standard for the use of their naval and commercial services of such colors and devices as to be plainly and distinctly perceived at great distances, and have carefully guarded against anything that would blend them with the flags of any other, and especially of a neighboring nation, to avoid any collision in time of war, by a neutral power, this no doubt, ought to be the guide to Texas also, whose flag bearing the national arms, the committee flatter themselves will display, and be known and be respected far and wide, so soon as the commerce of this country is extended with foreign nations, protecting the valuable productions of her rich and exhuberant  soil on the wide extended ocean and in distant ports of the habitable globe.

 

   Therefore your committee beg leave to offer a substitute, amending the original bill referred to them, accompanying the same with a specimen of the arms, the seal and the standard.

 

   An act amending an act entitled an act adopting a national seal and standard for the Republic of Texas, approved on the 10^th December, 1836.

 

   Sec. 1.  Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the republic of Texas in congress assembled, That from an after the passage of this act, the national arms of the Republic of Texas be, and the same is hereby declared to be a white star of five points in an azure ground encircled by an olive and live oak branches.

 

   Sec. 2.  Be it further enacted, That the national great seal of this Republic shall from and after the passage of this act bear the arms of this nation as declared by the first section of this act, and the letters “REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.”

 

   Sec. 3.  Be it further enacted, That from and after the passage of this act, the national standard of Texas shall consist of a blue perpendicular stripe, of the width of one third of the whole breadth of the flag, with a white star of five points in the centre thereof, and of two horizontal stripes of equal breadth, the upper stripe white, the lower stripe red, of the length of two third of the whole length of the flag, any thing in the act to which this an amendment, to the contrary notwithstanding.

 

   Sec. 4.  Be it further enacted, That the President be, and he is hereby authorized and required to establish such signal and other auxiliary flags for the naval revenue and land services, also for the use of pilots and coasting traders as the said services may require, and he may deem necessary and expedient.

   

   See the January 9, 1839 edition of the Telegraph and Texas Register newspaper, Volume 4, Number 27, published at Houston, Texas.