The Unexpected History of the Schenectady "Liberty Flag": A Story of 1771.

The "Liberty Flag" dates from before the Revolutionary War. Owned by the Schenectady County Historical Society in Schenectady, New York, the flag was conserved and mounted by Spicer Art Conservation, LLC. It is unique among known Revolutionary War-era flags, as extensive documentation for it exists, including when and where it was first flown along with information about the people associated with its use. Further, this flag was not connected with a military unit or anti-Crown protests; rather, it represented a civic statement. In 1771, Schenectady politicians were focused upon how to allocate and manage common lands rather than on the constitutional issues that were at the forefront for other communities in New York and New England. 1-his focus on common lands arose from local disputes between the more recently-arrived English and earlier settlers of Dutch ancestry. This is also a story of the enduring hold of the Dutch culture through decades of English rule-in particular, how the Dutch concept and understanding of "liberty" was distinct from ideas of individual liberty then prevalent in the "English" colonies. In 1771, thus, the local "liberty" protest by English settlers was more about the use of common lands rather than taxation. Furthermore, consideration of the dyestuffs available for the silk fabric, and its current condition, indicate that the flag, now brown, was originally green (not blue, as widely believed). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]