*Cue* “The stars at night...”
When it comes to Texas pride, it’s abundant for many Texans. We have songs about the Texas flag, we boot-shaped earrings, and even Texas-shaped waffles. But what is the history behind the Texas flag?
Founded
The official flag of Texas would go through many versions before being adopted by the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas in Houston on January 25, 1839. It is unknown, however, who created the original Lone Star Flag that we know today.
The colors
When you see what the colors of the Texas flag represent it’s very easy to understand why it’s just... so Texas. The Texas flag similarity shares its colors with the US flag, and their meanings are identical:
- Red for courage
- White for purity and liberty
- Blue for loyalty
The hoist
At the hoist end of the Texas flag — that is, the end near the flagstaff — a blue stripe bears the iconic Lone Star.
The current Lone Star flag was adopted in 1839, but the symbol represented Texan unity and independence fordecades before. The Jane Long Flag flown in 1819 may have been the star’s debut.
The field
Our flag’s background borrows its parallel stripes from the Republic of Fredonia, representing an alliance between the settlers and local Cherokee leaders, according to the Texas Historical Society.
Although the Fredonian Rebellion was unsuccessful, it set the stage for the Texas Revolution a decade later.
