Changes

<blockquote>Resolved, That the uniform of the officers be green and white, and that they furnish themselves accordingly, and that the colors be a white flag with a green pine-tree and the inscription "An Appeal to Heaven."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WEQaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA349 Flags of the World]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YVU_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1244 Harper's Round Table, Volume 17]</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>Resolved, That the uniform of the officers be green and white, and that they furnish themselves accordingly, and that the colors be a white flag with a green pine-tree and the inscription "An Appeal to Heaven."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WEQaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA349 Flags of the World]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YVU_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1244 Harper's Round Table, Volume 17]</ref></blockquote>

[[File:Reed letter.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A letter from Joseph Reed]]

[[File:Reed letter.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A letter from Joseph Reed]]

===Pine Tree===

===Pine Tree===

In September, 1775, Congress decided to fit out two schooners to be used as privateers, and when they were about ready to sail Col. Reid, who was the private secretary to [[General Washington]], wrote a letter to Colonels Glover and Moylan, who, whilst they were not to have personal command of the vessels, had supervision over them, requesting that they adopt some flag or signal by which our vessels might know each other on the high sea and suggested that they use this flag on their vessels. The suggestion came too late, for on the next day Col. Moylan replied stating that the vessels sailed the day before, and, not having the new colors, they sailed under their old, but as a signal they were to be flown from a certain point of the rigging, technically known as the “main topping lift.” The fact is that this flag was largely used, especially at sea, for quite a while during that war, and was especially popular with the northern colonies.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=degxAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA22 The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 13]</ref>

In September, 1775, Congress decided to fit out two schooners to be used as privateers, and when they were about ready to sail Col. Reid, who was the private secretary to [[General Washington]], wrote a letter to Colonels Glover and Moylan, who, whilst they were not to have personal command of the vessels, had supervision over them, requesting that they adopt some flag or signal by which our vessels might know each other on the high sea and suggested that they use this flag on their vessels. The suggestion came too late, for on the next day Col. Moylan replied stating that the vessels sailed the day before, and, not having the new colors, they sailed under their old, but as a signal they were to be flown from a certain point of the rigging, technically known as the “main topping lift.” The fact is that this flag was largely used, especially at sea, for quite a while during that war, and was especially popular with the northern colonies.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=degxAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA22 The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 13]</ref>

The design of the Pine Tree Naval Flag was suggested to General Washington by Colonel Joseph Reed.  According to some early portraits published in London around the time of the [[American Revolution]], this flag had the words <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GMMTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA28 Our Flag: Its History and what it Stands for]</ref>

The design of the Pine Tree Naval Flag was suggested to General Washington by Colonel Joseph Reed.  According to some early portraits published in London around the time of the [[American Revolution]], this flag had the words "[[Liberty Tree]]" across the top and the bottom of the flag contained the phrase "'''An Appeal to God'''".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GMMTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA28 Our Flag: Its History and what it Stands for]</ref>

===Lockean Influence===

===Lockean Influence===