Last modified: 2015-07-28 by peter hans van den muijzenberg
Keywords: tv | television | john adams |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
I'm now watching the HBO miniseries "John Adams" on DVD. (For non-
Americans, it concerns the patriot and second president of the United
States, and covers a period from 1770 to 1826.)
Naturally, it's full of flags. In fact, the opening credits consist
of one flag overlapping another. There are those you'd expect, at
appropriate times- Pine Tree with "An Appeal to Heaven", Grand Union,
First Stars and Stripes with the stars in a circle, and, later, in 3-
2-3-2-3 rows, and so on. One common theme is rattlesnake flags,
including the "First Navy Jack" seen on a ship (the flag is likely a
myth and wouldn't fly at sea anyway, but the whole series is, how
shall I say, a bit easy with certain facts), the Gadsen flag, and
others. One interesting flag seen over and over again, however, is a
flag version of Franklin's famous "Join or Die" cartoon (somewhat
modified to include Georgia)- in fact, it was the image used on all
advertising for the series. Is there any evidence it was used as a
flag? I find it a bit incongruous that such exact replicas appear
again and again with 18th Century manufacturing the way it was.
Also interestingly, a Dutch-like flag is shown being flown at
patriotic events in the late 18th Century alongside the US flag. As
has been pointed out on this list, such flags are widely flown in the
US today, usually with lettering on the white stripe. French
tricolors are also shown during the period of that country's
revolution.
Like I said, the series is not exactly true to the facts at all
times, but I thought this bore pointing out.
Nathan Lamm, 4 November 2008
