Wikipedia Pine Tree Flag
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{{about|the American Revolution-era flag|the former flag of Maine|Flag of Maine (1901–1909)}}
{{Short description|American Revolutionary-era flag}}
{{Short description|American Revolutionary-era flag}}
{{pp-protected|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox flag
{{Infobox flag
| Name = An Appeal to Heaven Flag
| Name = Pine Tree Flag
| Article =
| Article =
| Image = An Appeal to Heaven Flag.svg{{!}}border
| Image = An Appeal to Heaven Flag.svg{{!}}border
| Image_size = 200px
| Image_size = 200px
| Imagetext = A modernized redrawn version of the flag
| Imagetext =
| Alt = Pine Tree Flag
| Alt = Pine Tree Flag
| Noborder = no
| Noborder = no
| Use = 000000
| Use = 000000
| Symbol = {{FIAV|historical}}
| Symbol = {{FIAV|historical}}
| Proportion = 2:3
| Proportion = 2:3
| Adoption = October 21, 1775
| Adoption = Used on American vessels by October 20, 1775;<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Richardson |first=Edward W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VK52AAAAMAAJ&q |title=Standards and Colors of the American Revolution |date=1982 |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |isbn=0812278399 |pages=59, 90}}</ref> formally adopted by the [[Massachusetts Council]] on April 29, 1776<ref name=":1" />
| Design = A pine tree with the words "AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN" written in all capital letters above the tree, and a white field behind it.
| Design = A white field charged with a green pine tree, and the words "AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN" in capital letters above the tree.
| Designer =Joseph Reed
| Designer =
}}
}}
The ''' Tree Flag''' (or the '''Appeal to Heaven Flag''') was one of the flags used during the [[American Revolution]]. The flag, which featured a pine tree with the motto "An Appeal to Heaven," or less frequently "An Appeal to God", was originally used by a squadron of six [[frigate]]s that were commissioned under [[George Washington]]'s authority as [[Commander-in-chief]] of the [[Continental Army]] in October 1775.
The '''Pine Tree Flag''' (or the '''An Appeal to Heaven Flag''') was one of the flags used during the [[American Revolution]]. The flag, which featured a [[pine tree]] with the motto "An Appeal to Heaven", or less frequently "An Appeal to God", was used by a squadron of six [[schooner]]s commissioned under [[George Washington]]'s authority as [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Continental Army]] beginning in October 1775.
It is the [[Flag of Massachusetts|official maritime ensign]] for the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]], though the script was removed in 1971. It was used by state navy vessels in addition to [[privateer]]s sailing from Massachusetts.<ref>Naval History Center FAQ. Retrieved from http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq122-1.htm {{Webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20121004082423/http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq122-1.htm |date=2012-10-04 }}.</ref>
==Design==
[[File:1885 History of US flags med.jpg|thumb|upright|An American school textbook depicting the flag alongside the [[Gadsden flag|Gadsden Flag]], the [[Grand Union Flag]], a colonial [[Flag of New England|New England]] flag, the
[[Bunker Hill flag]], and the [[Flag of the United States]].]]
[[File:Appealtoheaven.png|thumb|upright|The pine tree flag with the motto "An Appeal to Heaven".]]
[[File:Flag of Maine (1901–1909).svg|thumb|upright|A modern rendition of the original [[Flag of Maine (1901–1909)|1901 Maine Flag]].]]
The design of the flag came from General Washington's secretary, Colonel [[Joseph Reed (politician)| Joseph Reed]]. In a letter dated October 21, 1775, Reed suggested a "flag with a white ground and a tree in the middle, the motto AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN" be used for the ships Washington commissioned.<ref name="uswacr"/>
The following summer, on July 26, 1776, the [[Massachusetts General Court]] established the flag of the [[Massachusetts Naval Militia|state navy]] with a resolution that stated in part: "...that the Colours be a white Flag, with a green Pine Tree, and an Inscription, 'Appeal to Heaven'."<ref name="uswacr">Wyatt, Rick (2002). Washington's Cruisers Flag (U.S.). Retrieved from http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-wacr.html.</ref>
==Pine tree symbolism==
The [[pine]] tree has been symbolic in [[New England]] since the late 16th century, predating the arrival of colonists. After warring for decades, leaders of five nations—the [[Seneca people|Seneca]], [[Cayuga people|Cayuga]], [[Onondaga people|Onondaga]], [[Oneida people|Oneida]], and [[Mohawk people|Mohawk]]—buried their weapons beneath a tree planted by the [[Iroquois|Iroquois Confederacy]] founder, the [[Great Peacemaker]], at [[Onondaga (village)|Onondaga]]. The "tree of peace" is featured in the center of the Hiawatha Belt, the Iroquois national belt, named for the Great Peacemaker's helper, [[Hiawatha]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hiawatha Belt |url=https://www.onondaganation.org/culture/wampum/hiawatha-belt |website=Onondaga Nation |date=18 June 2014 |publisher=Onondaga Nation |accessdate=12 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The 6 Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy |url=https://www.britannica.com/list/the-6-nations-of-the-iroquois-confederacy |website=Britannica |publisher=Britannica |accessdate=12 July 2020}}</ref>
Colonists adopted the pine as a symbol on flags and currency in the 17th century, including variants of the [[flag of New England]] and [[Massachusetts pound|coinage]] produced by the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] from 1652 to 1682.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling, "1652" |url=https://amhistory.si.edu/coins/printable/coin.cfm?coincode=1_00&coinside=front |url-status=dead |website=Legendary Coins & Currency |publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of American History |accessdate=12 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107152442/https://amhistory.si.edu/coins/printable/coin.cfm?coincode=1_00&coinside=front |archive-date=7 November 2016}}</ref> Leading up to the Revolutionary War, the pine tree became a symbol of colonial ire and resistance as well as multi-tribal support of independence.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}
New England's [[Pinus strobus|eastern white pine]] was prized in the [[shipbuilding in the American colonies|colonial shipbuilding]] industry for its quality and height. Following their 1620 arrival to [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth]], the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] began harvesting the indigenous pines; two decades later, they began exporting the wood as far as [[Madagascar]].<ref name="King's Mark">{{cite web |title=Why The Name King's Mark? |url=http://ccrpa.org/km/King%27s%20Mark%20Why%20The%20Name%20King%27s%20Mark.htm |website= King's Mark Resource Conservation & Development Project, Inc. |publisher=King's Mark Resource Conservation and Development Council |date= 24 February 2011 |accessdate=12 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106041838/http://ccrpa.org/km/King's%20Mark%20Why%20The%20Name%20King's%20Mark.htm |archive-date=6 November 2019}}</ref>
The pine tree is a traditional symbol of [[New England]]. The phrase "appeal to heaven" appears in [[John Locke]]'s ''[[Second Treatise on Government]]'', where it is used to describe the [[right of revolution]].
Lacking domestic production of timber, and with imports from Russia and Sweden vulnerable to disruption, England included a mast-preservation clause in the 1691 [[Massachusetts Charter]] to ensure a reliable supply of {{convert|24|in|cm|adj=on}} diameter trees for the [[Royal Navy]]. Surveyors marked trees appropriated to the Crown with the [[broad arrow]] symbol, but the so-called broad-arrow policy was never effectively enforced and colonists cut mast pines for sale on the [[black market]].<ref name="King's Mark"/>
The flag is the [[Ensign (flag)|official maritime ensign]] for the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]], though the script was removed in 1971. It was used by state navy vessels in addition to [[privateer]]s sailing from Massachusetts.<ref>Naval History Center FAQ. Retrieved from http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq122-1.htm {{Webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20121004082423/http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq122-1.htm |date=October 4, 2012}}.</ref>
In the [[Province of New Hampshire]], enforcement led to the [[Pine Tree Riot]] in 1772, where a statute had been in effect since 1722 protecting {{convert|12|in|cm|adj=on}} diameter trees. After being fined and refusing to pay for possessing trees marked with the broad arrow, a New Hampshire mill owner leading other mill owners and townsmen assaulted the sheriff and his deputy sent to arrest him by giving him one lash with a tree switch for every tree which the mill owners were fined, cutting the ears, manes, and tails off their horses, and forced them out of town through a jeering crowd. This was one of the first acts of forceful protest against British policies. It occurred almost two years prior to the more well-known [[Boston Tea Party]] protest and three years before open hostilities began at the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/03/21/weare-nh-1772-rebellion-before-the-revolution/ |title = Weare, NH 1772: Rebellion Before the Revolution–The Pine Tree Riot|date = 21 March 2006}}</ref>
==Design and adoption==
[[File:1885 History of US flags med.jpg|thumb|upright|American school textbook, 1885, depicting the flag alongside the [[Gadsden flag|Gadsden Flag]], the [[Grand Union Flag]], a colonial [[Flag of New England|New England]] flag, the
[[Bunker Hill flag]], and the [[Flag of the United States]]]]
[[File:Pine Tree Flag illustration (MADELIA, MINN 1898 CHASE & SANBORN, AMERICAN FLAG HISTORY BOOKLET).jpg|thumb|232x232px|Illustration of the flag, [[Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company]] American history booklet, 1898]]
[[File:Flag of Maine (1901–1909).svg|thumb|upright|A modern rendition of the original [[Flag of Maine (1901–1909)|1901 Maine Flag]]]]
A flag with a pine tree on it, "a red flag with the [[cross of St. George]] in the canton with a green pine tree in the first quarter", was used in New England as early as 1704, and may have flown at [[Battle of Bunker Hill|Bunker Hill]] in 1775. It also appeared having a "white field with the motto 'An Appeal to Heaven' above the pine tree".<ref>{{cite journal |title=The American Flag |first=Harlan H. |last=Homer |journal=Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association |date=1915 |volume=14 |year=1915 |pages=108-121 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42890036}}</ref>
According to legend, months prior to Colonel [[Joseph Reed (politician)|Joseph Reed]]'s suggestion for using the pine, the pine was used on the flag that the colonists flew at the [[Battle of Bunker Hill]] in June 1775, though this is disputed by modern scholars. The historically accepted flag has a red field with the green pine tree in the upper left corner as depicted in [[John Trumbull]]'s ''[[The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775]]'' painting. Provided Reed was aware of the Bunker Hill flag, there was a precedent to incorporate the pine in another Colonial martial flag.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
In a letter dated October 20, 1775,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Richardson |first=Edward W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VK52AAAAMAAJ&q |title=Standards and Colors of the American Revolution |date=1982 |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |isbn=0812278399 |pages=59, 90}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Leepson |first=Marc |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qqjzyyZjYTEC |title=Flag: An American Biography |date=2005 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]] |isbn=978-0-312-32309-7 |location=New York |pages=14–15 }}</ref> General Washington's secretary, Colonel [[Joseph Reed (politician)|Joseph Reed]], suggested a "flag with a white ground and a tree in the middle, the motto AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN" be used for the ships Washington commissioned.<ref name="uswacr">Wyatt, Rick (2002). [http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-wacr.html Washington's Cruisers Flag] (U.S.)</ref> Two heavily armed American [[scow]]s, or "floating batteries," launched on the [[Charles River]] in September 1775 had used the Pine Tree flag as an ensign; in his letter, Reed described the banner he proposed as "the flag of our floating batteries."<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The six schooners commissioned by Congress beginning in October 1775 to intercept British ships entering Boston—the [[USS Hancock (1775)|USS ''Hancock'']], ''[[USS Lee (1775)|Lee]]'', ''[[USS Franklin (1775)|Franklin]]'', ''[[USS Harrison (1761)|Harrison]]'', ''[[USS Lynch (1776)|Lynch]]'', and ''[[USS Warren (1775)|Warren]]''—used the Pine Tree flag.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />
Given the pine tree's significance to the colonists and since the flag was to fly over colonial warships, the pine offered an appropriate and ironic symbol, as it flew atop the very structure for which the British had sought to harvest the white pine.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
The following year, on April 29, 1776,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> the [[Massachusetts Governor's Council|Massachusetts Council]] established the flag of the [[Massachusetts Naval Militia|state navy]] with a resolution stating: "...that the Colours be a white Flag, with a green Pine Tree, and the Inscription, 'An Appeal to Heaven'."<ref name=":0" /><ref name="uswacr"/><ref name=":1" />
The [[Flag of Maine (1901–1909)|flag of Maine]], the "pine tree state", featured a pine tree on a buff field with a blue star in the canton from 1901 to 1909.
==Appeal to Heaven and Locke==
The phrase "Appeal to Heaven" is a particular expression of the [[right of revolution]] used by British philosopher [[John Locke]] in his ''[[Two Treatises of Government|Second Treatise on Government]].'' The work was published in 1690 and refuted the theory of the [[divine right of kings]]. In chapter 14:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7370/7370-h/7370-h.htm|title=Second Treatise on Civil Government|author=[[John Locke]]}} - Chapter 3 Sect. 20-21 & Chapter 14 Sect. 168</ref>
==Appeal to Heaven==
{{quote|And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to {{strong|appeal to heaven}}, whenever they judge the cause of sufficient moment. And therefore, though the people cannot be judge, so as to have, by the constitution of that society, any superior power, to determine and give effective sentence in the case; yet they have, by a law antecedent and paramount to all positive laws of men, reserved that ultimate determination to themselves which belongs to all mankind, where there lies no appeal on earth, viz. to judge, whether they have just cause to make their {{strong|appeal to heaven}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Benner|first=Dave|date=April 16, 2017|title=John Locke's Appeal to Heaven: Its Continuing Relevance|url=https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2017/04/16/john-lockes-appeal-to-heaven-its-continuing-relevance/|access-date=August 27, 2020|website=Tenth Amendment Center |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310102741/https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2017/04/16/john-lockes-appeal-to-heaven-its-continuing-relevance/ |archive-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>}}
The phrase is a particular expression of the [[right of revolution]] used by British philosopher [[John Locke]] in chapter 14 of his ''Second Treatise on Civil Government'' which was published in 1690 as part of ''[[Two Treatises of Government]]'' refuting the theory of the [[divine right of kings]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7370/7370-h/7370-h.htm|title=Second Treatise on Civil Government|author=[[John Locke]]}} - Chapter 3 Sect. 20-21 & Chapter 14 Sect. 168</ref>
{{quote|And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to {{strong|appeal to heaven}}, whenever they judge the cause of sufficient moment. And therefore, though the people cannot be judge, so as to have, by the constitution of that society, any superior power, to determine and give effective sentence in the case; yet they have, by a law antecedent and paramount to all positive laws of men, reserved that ultimate determination to themselves which belongs to all mankind, where there lies no appeal on earth, viz. to judge, whether they have just cause to make their {{strong|appeal to heaven}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Benner|first=Dave|date=16 April 2017|title=John Locke's Appeal to Heaven: Its Continuing Relevance|url=https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2017/04/16/john-lockes-appeal-to-heaven-its-continuing-relevance/|access-date=27 August 2020|website=Tenth Amendment Center |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310102741/https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2017/04/16/john-lockes-appeal-to-heaven-its-continuing-relevance/ |archive-date=10 March 2021}}</ref>}}
Locke's enlightenment-age works on the topic of the philosophy of government were well-known and frequently quoted by colonial leaders in the 1760–1776 period prior to American independence. Locke's writing that most influenced the American philosophy of government was his Two Treatises of Government, and has been used to defend the secularization of American political structures.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://providencemag.com/2021/02/appeal-to-heaven-our-new-civil-war-us-capitol-johhn-locke/ |title=The Appeal to Heaven and Our New Revolutionary War }| date=February 23, 2021 |last= Littlejohn |first=Brad |access-date = April 20, 2024 | publisher= Providence}}</ref>
[[Richard Henry Lee]], a signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], saw the Declaration as being copied from that work. Locke was not only one of the most-cited political philosophers during the Founding Era (~1776 to 1779), but also the single most frequently-cited source in the years from 1760 to 1776 (the period leading up to the Declaration of Independence).<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=99156#FN33 | title=John Locke – A Philosophical Founder of America| date=December 29, 2016}}</ref>
Locke's works were well-known and frequently quoted by colonial leaders, being the most quoted authority on the government in the 1760–1776 period prior to American independence. Locke's specific writing that most influenced the American philosophy of government was his [[Two_Treatises_of_Government''|Two Treatises of Government'']]. In fact, [[Richard Henry Lee]], a signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], saw the Declaration as being copied from that work. Locke was not only one of the most-cited political philosophers during the Founding Era, but the single most frequently-cited source in the years from 1760 to 1776 (the period leading up to the Declaration of Independence).<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=99156#FN33 | title=John Locke – A Philosophical Founder of America| date=29 December 2016}}</ref>
Prior to Colonel Reed's suggestion and Massachusetts General Court establishing the Pine Tree flag as the standard of the Massachusetts navy, "an appeal to Heaven" or similar expressions had been invoked by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in several resolutions, [[Patrick Henry]] in his Liberty or Death speech, and the [[Second Continental Congress]] in the [[Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms]]. Subsequently, the phrase was used again by the Second Continental Congress in the Declaration of Independence.
Prior to Colonel Reed's suggestion and Massachusetts General Court establishing the Pine Tree flag as the standard of the Massachusetts navy, "an appeal to Heaven" or similar expressions had been invoked by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in several resolutions, [[Patrick Henry]] in his Liberty or Death speech, and the [[Second Continental Congress]] in the [[Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms]]. Subsequently, it was used again by the Second Continental Congress in the Declaration of Independence.
==History==
[[File:1968 6c Historic American Flag stamp (Washington's Cruisers).jpg|thumb|1968 [[Postage stamps and postal history of the United States|U.S. stamp]] with the Pine Tree Flag, or "Washington's Cruisers Flag"|left]]
[[File:Black Lives Matter protest signs.jpg|thumb|Pine Tree Flag being displayed at a [[Black Lives Matter]] protest, July 2020|alt=refer to caption]]
==Modern usage==
The pine tree symbol may have been used by the [[Iroquois|Iroquois League]] before the arrival of the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]]. The term "pine tree" also referred to oaks, willows, and other trees.<ref name="Vile">{{cite book |last=Vile |first=John R. |date=October 5, 2018 |title=The American Flag: An Encyclopedia of the Stars and Stripes in U.S. History, Culture, and Law |location=Santa Barbara, California |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |page=255 |isbn=9781440857898 |lccn=2018010859}}</ref> Colonists adopted the pine as a symbol on flags and currency in the 17th century, including variants of the [[flag of New England]] and [[Massachusetts pound|coinage]] produced by the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] from 1652 to 1682.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling, "1652" |url=https://amhistory.si.edu/coins/printable/coin.cfm?coincode=1_00&coinside=front |url-status=dead |website=Legendary Coins & Currency |publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of American History |access-date=July 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107152442/https://amhistory.si.edu/coins/printable/coin.cfm?coincode=1_00&coinside=front |archive-date=November 7, 2016}}</ref> The Pine Tree Flag was associated with the New England Colonies long before it became depicted, for instance, on the famous handkerchief of George Washington on horseback surrounded by four different flags (1776–77), by [[John Hewson (artist)|John Hewson]]. In 1775 and 1776, according to John R. Monsky, it was one of the most important flags in the colonies, and the central image of the pine tree stood for wealth and power, in part because the tall trees were so important to the Royal Navy, as masts for warships. Massachusetts adopted it as its first official flag and put it on their currency; [[Jonathan Trumbull]] shows it in his 1785 painting of the events at [[Battle of Bunker Hill]].<ref name=mosky>{{cite journal |title=From the Collection: Finding America in Its First Political Textile |first=John R. |last=Monsky |journal=Winterthur Portfolio |volume=37 |issue=4 |year=2002 |pages=239-264 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/381643}}</ref> The [[Flag of Maine (1901–1909)|flag of Maine]], the "pine tree state", also featured a pine tree on a buff field with a blue star in the canton from 1901 to 1909.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |title=Maine's once forgotten original state flag is making a comeback |url=https://bangordailynews.com/2018/02/13/homestead/maines-once-forgotten-original-state-flag-is-making-a-comeback/ |access-date=2018-10-19 |work=Bangor Daily News }}</ref> The flag was a popular regional New England flag and was used to muster troops during the [[American Revolution]] before Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes. The flag may have served as partial inspiration for [[Symbolism in the French Revolution#Liberty Tree|liberty trees]] and [[liberty pole]]s.<ref name="Vile" />
The flag was prominently displayed in the introduction credits to HBO's [[John_Adams_(miniseries)|''John Adams'' miniseries]] (2008), referring to John Adams' proud, staunch [[New England]] identity.
In 1968, the Pine Tree flag, or "Washington's Cruisers Flag," was featured in the 6¢ Historic American Flags postage stamp series printed by the [[Bureau of Engraving and Printing]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1968 U.S. Postage Stamp Issues Identifier |url=https://1847us.com/byyear/1968-year/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827043444/https://1847us.com/byyear/1968-year/ |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=U.S. Stamp Catalog and Identifier |language=en-US}}</ref>
In the 2010s, the flag became appropriated as a religious and political symbol by some [[conservative]] and [[American nationalism|nationalist]] activists within the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brantley |first1=Max |title="A new flag to fight about — 'Appeal to Heaven'" |url=https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2015/07/06/a-new-flag-to-fight-about-appeal-to-heaven |work=Arkansas Times}}</ref> In 2013, the flag was seen at a Million Vet March where it flew behind [[Sarah Palin]] in photographs. At the time, commentator [[Andrew Sullivan]] discussed the relevance of the flag's appearance, focusing on the connections between the historical message of the flag and its modern usage by political conservatives.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=Andrew |title="Is Palin Invoking Locke's Right Of Rebellion?" |date=14 October 2013 |url=http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/10/13/is-palin-invoking-lockes-right-of-rebellion/}}</ref> In 2015, the [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]] demanded the flag's removal from a county courthouse in [[Arkansas]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Release, "FFRF asks Ark. county to take down 'Appeal to Heaven' flag" |url=https://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/23154-ffrf-asks-ark-county-to-take-down-appeal-to-heaven-flag}}</ref> Also in 2015, the Appeal to Heaven flag and slogan were adopted by a conservative religious movement using the same name.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Griffith |first1=Wendy |title='It Ain't Over!' Christians Appeal to Heaven |url=https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015/november/it-aint-over-christians-appeal-to-heaven |work=CBN News}}</ref> In 2019, Illinois State Representative [[Chris Miller (politician)|Chris Miller]] made a public appearance with the flag to "help focus attention" on a National Day of Prayer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Release, George Washington 'Appeal To Heaven' Flag Helps Focus attention on 'National Day of Prayer' Coming Up on May 2nd |date=4 April 2019|url=https://repcmiller.com/2019/04/04/george-washington-appeal-to-heaven-flag-helps-focus-attention-on-national-day-of-prayer-on-may-2nd/}}</ref>
In the 2020s, the flag was flown at events attended by various [[Radical right (United States)|far-right]] groups, [[Christian nationalism#United States|Christian nationalists]] and [[Donald Trump]]'s "[[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|Stop the Steal]]" campaign<ref name="AP May232024">{{Cite news |last1=Fields |first1=Gary |last2=Mascaro |first2=Lisa |last3=Amiri |first3=Farnoush |date=May 23, 2024 |title=The 'Appeal to Heaven' flag evolves from Revolutionary War symbol to banner of the far right |work=The Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-flags-history-symbol-protest-a5415aeba90e21a86a50f8489fc54b7a |access-date=May 23, 2024 |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524005504/https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-flags-history-symbol-protest-a5415aeba90e21a86a50f8489fc54b7a |url-status=live}}</ref>, along with protests associated with the Black Lives Matter movement<ref>{{Cite web |last=Examiner |first=Brady Knox, Washington |date=2024-05-23 |title=What are the flags Alito is under fire for? |url=https://gazette.com/news/wex/what-are-the-flags-alito-is-under-fire-for/article_2b8e993e-34f8-50fc-a7c8-2df36ff84072.html |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=Colorado Springs Gazette |language=en}}</ref> and other causes.
In 2021, the flag was flown by [[Donald Trump|Trump]] supporters during the [[January 6 United States Capitol attack]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jhaveri |first1=Ishaan |title= The Pine Tree flag: How one symbol at the Capitol riot connects far-right extremism to Christianity|url=https://towcenter.medium.com/the-pine-tree-flag-how-one-symbol-at-the-capitol-riot-connects-far-right-extremism-to-christianity-f02314a5f759}}</ref> In 2023, [[Mike Johnson (Louisiana politician)|Mike Johnson (R LA)]], newly elected [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives]], hung the flag outside his Congressional office.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Onishi|first1=Bradley|last2=Taylor | first2=Matthew| url= https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/mike-johnson-christian-nationalist-appeal-to-heaven-flag-1234873851/ |title= The Key to Mike Johnson’s Christian Extremism Hangs Outside His Office |work=RollingStone |date=Nov 20, 2023}}</ref>
Justice Samuel Alito flew the flag at his New Jersey home in 2023, which some criticized because of its presence at past far-right events,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kruzel |first=John |date=May 22, 2024 |title=US Supreme Court Justice Alito's home flew another provocative flag |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-justice-alitos-home-flew-another-provocative-flag-nyt-2024-05-22/ |access-date=May 27, 2024 |work=Reuters}}</ref> despite its lack of historical association with the far-right, and use at protests associated with other causes.
==See also==
==See also==
*[[Flag of New England]]
* [[Flag of New England]]
*[[Flag of Maine (1901–1909)|1901 Maine Flag]]
* [[Flag of Maine (1901–1909)|1901 Maine Flag]]
*[[American Enlightenment]]
* [[American Enlightenment]]
*[[Thompson's War]]
* [[Thompson's War]]
*[[Pine Tree Riot]]
* [[Pine Tree Riot]]
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat-inline|Pine Tree Flag}}
{{commonscat-inline|Pine Tree Flag}}
*[https://wallbuilders.com/an-appeal-to-heaven-flag/ History of An Appeal to Heaven flag], Wallbuilders
* [https://wallbuilders.com/an-appeal-to-heaven-flag/ History of An Appeal to Heaven flag], Wallbuilders
*[http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/48051-dutch-sheets-tells-story-behind-the-appeal-to-heaven-flag Dutch Sheets Tells Story Behind the Appeal to Heaven Flag]
[[Category:Flags of the American Revolution|Pine Tree Flag]]
[[Category:Flags of the American Revolution|Pine Tree Flag]]
[[Category:1775 introductions]]