Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

[Twenty Star American "Abolitionist Flag"]

Order a pdf of this item here.

A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05762 Author/Creator: Place Written: s.l. Type: Object Date: 1859 circa Pagination: 1 textile flag Height: 158 cm, Width: 311 cm Order a Copy PDF Download(s):

Large American cotton flag with only 20 stars. Fragile. The flag consists of 9 alternating red or white cloth strips sewn together with 20 somewhat irregular stars. The blue field is mottled and the flag has staining. The flag is identified as an "Abolitionist Flag" because it drops the slave states from the star field. (Measurements are approximate.) Discovered in Andover, Ohio, and may have been made there. Thought to show support for abolitionists like Brown.

Brown, John, 1800-1859

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources