20 Star-Great Star Flag or Great Luminary Flag-1818
By January of 1817, confusion had engulfed the American flag making industry. Since passage of the Flag Act of 1794, four states had been added to the Union, but the Flag had not been officially updated. Some Flagmakers took it upon themselves to add stars and stripes. Others made Flags with only 13 stars and 13 stripes. With another state to be added that year, Congress did what they usually do when action is required, they formed a committee and did nothing.
The committee consulted Captain Samuel Reid, U.S.N. He recommended returning the number of stripes to 13. Capt. Reid suggested three possible designs: a 13 stripe/20-star Flag, with the stars laid out in the shape of a great star; a 13 stripe Flag, with an eagle in the upper corner; and a Flag divided into four sections featuring stars, stripes, an eagle, and the goddess of Liberty. Only the 13 stripe/20 star Flag was ever seriously considered.
Congress debated the design of the Flag during the winter of 1818. Some believed it would be impractical to add a star each time there was a new state. Others felt the Flag should be returned to 13 stars and 13 stripes.
After much debate, the Flag Act of 1818 was at last passed and signed into law by President Monroe on April 4th. The Act called for 13 horizontal red and white stripes, 20 white stars and for a star to be added on the 4th of July following the admission of a new state. It did not specify a layout for the stars.
An executive order from President Monroe required a block pattern for stars on Flags flown by navy ships. Flagmakers were left to arrange the stars on national Flags as they wished. Great Star patterns remained popular throughout the 19th century.
For more information, please consult the following sources:
Canby, George. “The Evolution of the American Flag” pp. 90-93, (1909) Ferris & Leach
Flag Act, 15th Cong., 1st Sess. (1818) (enacted)
Furlong, William and McCandless, Byron “So Proudly We Hail, The History of the United States Flag” pp. 183-186, (1981) Smithsonian Institution Press
Hamilton, Schuyler. “The History of the National Flag of the United States of America” pp. 109-110, (1852) Scholar Select
Preble, George. “Our Flag, Origin and Progress of the Flag of the United States of America” pp. 251-260, (1872) Kessinger’s Legacy Reprint
Reid, Samuel. “Proposed National Standard” (1850) Library of Congress Manuscript Division (26.7 page 4)
Zaricor Flag Collection. “U.S. 20 Star Navy Boat Flag & Ensign, 1818” Retrieved 4 September 2024 from https://www.flagcollection.com/itemsummary.php?CollectionItem_ID=2284
Zaricor Flag Collection. “United States Grand Luminary Flags” Retrieved 4 September 2024 from https://www.flagcollection.com/cmsmedia/themes/GrandLuminaires/NationalTreasuresGrandLuminary.pdf