15 Star Flag Items Archives - 15 Stars Fine Aged Bourbon

15 Star Flag Items

In 1795, Kentucky was celebrated on the US Flag having 15 stars and 15 stripes. The 15 star flag was the second US Flag, and the official flag from 1795 – 1818. This was also the flag that inspired Frances Scott Key to pen our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, in 1814 at Fort McHenry. We strive to honor the artisans of this time period as we craft our fine aged whiskeys today.

Flag Act of 1794

This rare first printing of the Acts Passed at the Third Congress of the United States from 1794 prints The Flag Act of 1794 authorizing the 15 star US Flag.

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Flag Act of 1794

This rare first printing of the Acts Passed at the Third Congress of the United States from 1794 prints The Flag Act of 1794 authorizing the 15 star US Flag.

This rare Acts of the Third Congress of the United States was printed in 1794 by Francis Childs and John Swaine and is one of the few remaining copies from an authorized printing of only 600 copies. This copy was found in Marseilles, France. The first act of the First Session of the Third Congress on January 13, 1794 records the Flag Act which revised the flag of the United States from the original 13 stars and 13 stripe flag to the flag of 15 stars and 15 Stripes. This second flag of the United States recognized Vermont and Kentucky as new states, with Kentucky as the 15th. This flag is the only US flag to have other than the traditional 13 stripes. The bound volumes of the Acts of Congress, issued at the end of each session by Childs & Swaine were produced in only 600 copies to be distributed to the members of congress, to government officials in each state, and to certain foreign governments, with no copies printed for public purchase.

1794 Coopers Certificate

This Coopers Society Certificate from New York City in 1794 celebrates coopers, or barrel makers, with a ship flying the 15 star US flag.

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1794 Coopers Certificate

This Coopers Society Certificate from New York City in 1794 celebrates coopers, or barrel makers, with a ship flying the 15 star US flag.

This rare New York Coopers Society membership certificate from 1794 is the earliest remaining record of the Coopers Society. It contains one of the very earliest renderings of the United States 15 star flag ever recorded. The 15 star flag, representing the addition of Vermont and Kentucky as new states had been approved by Congress only six months earlier than this certificate is dated and precedes its official acceptance as the flag of the US in May of 1795. This certificate celebrates the artisan coopers who crafted the barrels which were so important to storage and shipping of goods, including whiskey. This certificate is also absolutely full of icons and representations of early America and the new republic. The engraver, William Rollinson, also a silversmith, was an accomplished craftsman of his time and produced the buttons for George Washington’s coat worn at his inauguration in 1789. The still bright colors were added by Ignatius Shnydore, an artist and craftsman who worked in NYC from 1788 to 1794.

1817 Flag Report

The report of the congressional committee appointed to Inquire into the expediency of altering the flag of the United States, January 2, 1817.

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1817 Flag Report

The report of the congressional committee appointed to Inquire into the expediency of altering the flag of the United States, January 2, 1817.

This report of the select committee of the US Congress House of Representatives from 1817 is the sole printing of this committee report. It represents the process involved in moving from the 15 star and 15 stripe US flag to the adoption of the US flag as 13 stripes to represent each of the original colonies, and one white star in a blue field for each state fully admitted to the union. This is a landmark piece of Americana which marks the process for a change from the 15 star and 15 stripe US flag to the current flag design which we know today.

1818 Flag Report

The report of the congressional committee appointed to Inquire into the expediency of altering the flag of the United States, January 6, 1818.

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1818 Flag Report

The report of the congressional committee appointed to Inquire into the expediency of altering the flag of the United States, January 6, 1818.

This rare report from the select committee of the US Congress House of Representatives in 1818 affirms the report of the select committee of 1817 and led to the modification to the U.S. flag of 13 stripes to represent each of the original colonies with the addition of one white star in a blue field for each state admitted to the union. Affirming this report, Congress enacted the Flag Act of 1818 on April 4th of 1818, changing the 15 star and 15 stripe US flag to the current design which we know today.

Coat of Arms With 15 Star Flag

This rare hand-painted Bradford family coat of arms includes the historic 15 star and 15 stripe US flag on the crest atop the helmet.

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Coat of Arms With 15 Star Flag

This rare hand-painted Bradford family coat of arms includes the historic 15 star and 15 stripe US flag on the crest atop the helmet.

This unique hand-painted coat of arms represents a branch of the Bradford family which emigrated to the United States, and can be dated by the inclusion of the 15 star and 15 stripe US flag. The Bradford name originates in England and numerous early US immigrants with that last name entered the US. While there is no connection to this coat of arms, in Kentucky the name was also common. The first printer in Kentucky was John Bradford. First arriving in Kentucky in 1775, he moved his family to Lexington in 1784, and began Kentucky’s first newspaper in 1787. This crest symbolizes a family that was proud to have come to America and become citizens of the US, so much so that the historic US flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes was positioned as the crest above the helmet on their redesigned coat of arms. This coat of arms is painted on paper and measures approximately 14″ x 10″. No other example of the historic US 15 star and 15 stripe flag within a coat of arms is known to exist.

Fort McHenry Cannonball

An original cannonball dredged from the harbor at Fort McHenry in Baltimore where the 15 star flag inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.

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Fort McHenry Cannonball

An original cannonball dredged from the harbor at Fort McHenry in Baltimore where the 15 star flag inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.

Fort McHenry was the site of an important battle in the War of 1812, as well as the most significant event related to the 15 star flag of the US. The British attempted to invade the harbor at Baltimore, MD, and on the morning of September 13, 1814, the British bombardment of Fort McHenry at the entry of the harbor began. The following morning when the bombardment stopped, a huge 15 Star US garrison flag was raised, signifying to all that Fort McHenry had withstood the bombardment and was still in American possession.

The original 15 star garrison flag hoisted over the ramparts at Fort McHenry is on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. This is the same 15 star flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen what has become our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner. This cannonball is a rare artifact that was dredged from the harbor in front of Fort McHenry in 1959.

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