Home / Pete's stuff / Not computer games / Pete's Draka page / Draka 2alpha Timeline / Flags

Contact site author

Updated 2005-10-24

Pete's Alternate Draka Timeline: Draka 2α

Some Flags of the Timeline

CSS functionality missing: This site will appear closer to the author's intent in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device. If you can read this, CSS (style sheets) is essentially disabled on this page, thus degrading the presentation but not losing any content. That's due to either the CSS file being unavailable from the server, your browser failing to understand it, or viewing in a medium besides a browser screen.

Been Framed?

If this page is displayed in a frame, which should happen only when the Geocities/Yahoo server puts them there and not because some other site is displaying my content, please reload this page to bust out of them.

That nasty α symbol

Visit the discussion of the non-English glyphs problem here if the above heading doesn't contain a character that looks like a Greek lowercase alpha, or if you see box symbols or "?" in the middle of non-English words. Try switching character set to UTF-8 to fix them.

Draka 2α Timeline
Flags

Previous: 1940–1948

American Flags

The civil flag of the United States of America is unchanged from 1789 to (at least 1948). For use by the American public, US military forces in battle and militia on parade. It was designed for easy recognition. The red bar, signifying "war in defense of liberty" was deliberately placed closer to the hoist than the white bar signifying peace, separated by the blue field signifying freedom (and the sea separating the newly independent colonies from Britain). The single gold star, signifying the rule of law, covers about 93% of the width of the blue field. The white (silver) fimbriation between the red bar and the blue field is required by the rules of heraldry to separate the colors, and is as narrow as possible. Early versions of the flag did not have the fimbriation, but it was quietly added to the official design in 1816; most mass-produced copies of this flag leave it off. The proportions are 5:8, with the red and white bars each 1/4 of the width and the blue field the remaining 1/2.

The state, or ceremonial, flag of the United States of America adds a gold star each time a new state is admitted. This complicated flag is for the official use of the US federal and state governments only. The central scroll with the words "We the People" signifies the Constitution. "1776" and "Independence" recall the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. The eagle attacking a snake, present from 1895 on, signifies the victory of a free state over tyranny and is copied from the 1823 flag of the Mexican Republic. Tradition is that the 14 stars in the blue central field are for the former British colonies (and Vermont) that initially signed the Constitution, and they do not lose that position even if combat occurs there. The red bar has one star for each state admitted after American blood shed in combat; tradition allows a state to be moved from the white to red bar if unsuccessfully invaded later (although the USA has never lost an entire state even temporarily). The white bar has one star for each state admitted in a peaceful manner; there was dispute about some from the former Mexico that went along relatively quietly during the Second Mexican–American War and the decades afterward before statehood. Designs used before 1816 didn't have the white fimbriation between the red bar and the blue field, or the black fimbriation around the gold stars in the white bar. Proportions are the same as the civil flag.
The span of years given for when a flag was used is a bit tricky. Before 1839, states could be admitted on any date in a year. In 1839, the admission process was codified so states are admitted, and the US ceremonial flag officially changed, only on the 4^th of July. The years shown below for when a flag was used should be understood with this in mind.

• 1789: The initial state flag had only the 14 stars for the original ratifiers of the Constitution. These were divided into 5 "slave" and 9 "free" states. [Vermont is the extra one compared to OTL.]
  
• 1792: The first state added to the USA is Kentucky, a "free" state with a star placed in the white bar. Now there are 5 "slave" and 10 "free" states. This is the last time before 1862 that free states have a 2/3 majority in the Senate.
  
• 1796: The second state added to the USA is Tennessee, a "slave" state with a star placed in the white bar. Now there are 6 "slave" and 10 "free" states.
  
• 1801: The third state added to the USA is Ohio, a "free" state with a star placed in the white bar. Now there are 6 "slave" and 11 "free" states.
  
• 1812: The fourth state added to the USA is Louisiana, a "slave" state with a star placed in the white bar. Now there are 7 "slave" and 11 "free" states.
  
• 1816: The fifth state added to the USA is Indiana, a "free" state with a star placed in the white bar. Now there are 7 "slave" and 12 "free" states. The stars for Ohio and Louisiana are moved from the white bar to the red in honor of fighting against British and Indians in the War of 1812. This brings the total to 2 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue, and 3 in the white. A white fimbriation is added to separate the red bar and blue field, and a black fimbriation surrounds each gold star in the white bar from now on.
  
• 1821: There are no official USA state flag designs during the period 1817–1820 that account for the admission of Mississippi ("slave") in 1817, Illinois ("free") in 1818, or Alabama ("slave") in 1819. All of these have stars placed in the white bar. Only after the initiation of the "Great Compromise," which begins with the admission of Missouri ("slave") and Maine ("free", in red bar in honor of fighting during War of 1812) is a new official design promulgated. The total is now 3 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 7 in white. Now there are 9 "slave" and 13 "free" states.
  
• 1839: The Great Compromise continues with the admission of Arkansaw (slave, white bar) and Perry (free, red bar in honor of conquest from Upper Canada during War of 1812). This makes 10 "slave" and 14 "free" states. The total is now 4 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 8 in white. The state admission process is now codified so states are admitted, and the US ceremonial flag officially changed, only on the 4^th of July. Previously, states could be admitted practically anytime during a year; the earlier gap in official flag designs was partially due to this.
  
• 1845: The last admissions within the Great Compromise are Texas (slave, red bar in honor of First Mexican–American War) and Michigan (free, white bar). This makes 11 "slave" and 15 "free" states. The total is now 5 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 9 in white.
  
• 1862: The Great Compromise, and the distinction between slave and free states, both end with the Slaver Exodus. Even before the chaos is completely realized, Minnesota is admitted. This brings the total to 5 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 10 in white.
  
• 1864: As the nation begins to rebuild after the Slaver Exodus, the largest number of states ever admitted in a single year occurs. The six in 1788 were — strictly speaking — not admitted, as the Constitution wasn't completely ratified yet. This year's group is Alta California (red bar in honor of First Mexican–American War), Florida, Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia (split from Virginia during the Slaver Exodus) and Wisconsin. The 35 states are shown by 6 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 15 in white.
  
• 1866: The next admission is Nevada. The total now stands at 6 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 16 in white.
  
• 1870: The next admission is Nebraska. The total is now 6 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 17 in white. This is arguably the ugliest flag design using the original large stars. The white bar is getting rather crowded, and plans to admit provinces of former Mexico and the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean in several phases lead to a decision to shrink the stars on the flag when necessary. Proposals to somehow recognize the Mexican annexation, principally through incorporating elements from the 1823 flag of the Mexican Republic, will take decades to gain significant support.
  
• 1872: The first group of states fashioned from the provinces of former Mexico is admitted, as well as the first of the possessions taken from Spain. Of these, Cuba, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Veracruz and Zacatecas have stars placed in the red bar in honor of battles during the Spanish–American War (Cuba only) and Second Mexican–American War. Potosi, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas have stars in the white bar, as these saw no military clashes during the wars (civil unrest then and afterward doesn't count). This group of 8 states breaks the record set in 1864. The total is now 11 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 20 in white. The white bar is filled to the limit.
  
• 1877: The first design using smaller stars. Colorado has the dubious distinction of their new star being placed in the position of least honor (the lower right corner) in commemoration of the Indian Massacres. The total is now 11 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 21 in white.
  
• 1879: The second group of states fashioned from the provinces of former Mexico is admitted, as well as the second Spanish possession. Thus Nuevo Leon and Puerto Rico have red stars. Baja California, Chihuahua, Durango, Guerrero, Michoacan, Oaxaca and Oregon all have white stars. These 9 states form the largest group ever admitted in a single year in American history, breaking the record set in 1872. The new total of 55 states is signified by 13 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 28 in white.
  
• 1894: Columbia, Dakota and Montana are admitted. The 58 states are signified by 13 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 31 in white. One of the shortest-lived designs in American history. [Columbia is OTL Washington, Dakota is OTL North and South Dakota.]
  
• 1895: Alberta and Wyoming are admitted, finally converting some of the Far Northwest Territory into a state. 60 states are shown by the 13 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 33 in white. The Mexican states finally call in enough chits to get an eagle holding a snake placed on the flag above the scroll. Officially it signifies victory of a free society over tyranny, but everyone knows this is cribbed from the last flag of the Mexican Republic.
  
• 1901: Panama is finally made a state, the first (and only) continental one isolated from the rest of the United States by the presence of other countries. The star for Panama is in the red bar in honor of the repulsion of a Grande Columbian invasion back in 1868. Utah and Yucatan are also admitted. The total of 63 states is now 14 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 35 in white.
  
• 1911: Oklahoma is finally admitted, after decades of negotiation with the local Indians. The total is now 14 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 36 in white.
  
• 1915: Arizona, Chiapas and Pueblo are admitted; the delays are due to negotiations with Indian tribes and the low populations of these areas. The total is now 14 stars in the red bar, 14 in the blue and 39 in white. [Pueblo is OTL New Mexico.]
  
• 1923: With the white bar nearly filled up, even with smaller stars, it's time to do something different. 10-pointed stars are used to replace groups of 10 5-pointed stars in the red and white bars, thereby freeing up a lot of room. But in keeping with tradition, the 14 stars in the "horseshoe" aren't touched. North Columbia and Saskatchewan are admitted. Only the Athabasca region remains in the Far Northwest Territory. The total is now 1 of the new 10-point stars and 4 5-point stars in the red bar, 14 5-point stars in the blue, and 4 10-point stars and 1 5-point star in the white. [North Columbia is OTL British Columbia.]
  
• 1929: Athabasca is admitted, at last completing the conversion of all US territories on the continent into states. 70 states are represented by 1 10-pointer and 4 5-pointers in the red bar, 14 5-pointers in the blue, and 4 10-pointers and 2 5-pointers in the white.
  
• 1941: Hawaii is admitted as a state, mostly to emphasize the area's strategic importance as the US looks on while Japan continues to expand in Asia and the Pacific during the Second Great War. One more 5-pointed star is added to the white bar to bring the total of states represented to 71.
  

Other Flags

The flag of the German Reich from 1939 to (at least 1948) was based on the banner of the German Militarist Party.

To Research Further

Those interested in designing the flags of other regimes in this timeline are invited to submit them to me via email. Those of the most interest to me currently are The Republic of Grand Columbia and Socialist Russia. I wouldn't be averse to seeing flags for the Free Republic of Draka or the Domination of the Draka either.

Flags from other alternate histories can be found at the Flags That Never Were site.

Next: Small Arms Development

What's New

Site Navigation

Counter says: hits on this page since initialization.
The Draka characters and situations are copyright © S.M. Stirling and may not be used or reproduced commercially without permission. No profit is being made from the stories/documents/files found on this website.
By Peter Karsanow.
The Home page has overall site and copyright information.