The Guilford Courthouse flag is the name given to a North Carolina militia banner which was reported to have flown at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The flag is recognizable by the reverse colors normally seen on American flags: red and blue stripes in the field with eight-pointed blue stars on an elongated white canton

Flag terminology

Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...

.

The unique colors and dimensions are sometimes described as showing a lack of uniformity in a young nation at war, with a poor infrastructure and bad communication. However, it was common practice during the Revolution for military units to carry flags that featured common American symbols (such as stripes and stars), but to make them uniquely identifiable for use as a company or regimental flag. As such, this flag was probably never intended for use as a national flag.

The original flag has been preserved since 1914 in the collection of the North Carolina Museum of History

North Carolina Museum of History

The North Carolina Museum of History is located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Permanent exhibits focus on the state’s military history, decorative arts, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and more. Visitors will see a variety of short-term and traveling exhibits...

 in Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

. It measures 42 inches high and 100 inches on the fly

Flag terminology

Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...

. The canton is 35 inches high and 73 inches long. The stars are 8 inches in diameter and have eight points. It is considered the oldest surviving example of an American flag with eight-pointed stars.

History

The flag was presented to the Grand Masonic Lodge of North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 in 1909. At that presentation, it was written that the flag was presented in 1854, when its owner, Major Edward Bullock, stated that his father, Macajah Bullock, carried it in the Granville County militia in the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

. Since the 1909 presentation, the flag has been linked closely with the battle of Guilford Courthouse, a battle in which Granville militiamen fought.

There is no historic documentation of the flag being used in the battle. Studies of the flag suggest that it may have had 15 stars and 15 stripes at one time- either originally made or perhaps added on when US flags

Flags of the United States

-Historical progression of designs:Since 1818, a star for each new state has been added to the flag on the Fourth of July immediately following each state's admission...

 had 15 stripes. The use of cotton cloth as the primary fabric is evidence of post-1790 construction. These factors cause some to question the validity of the Bullock story.

Few question that it is a very old flag, a relic of a young United States. When copies of this design are sold or flown today, it is generally symbolic of the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

and, specifically, the battle itself.