In American history, the Vikings carried a flag which bore a black ... Heaven," or "Don't Tread on Me." In the early days of the Revolution, there were colonial and regimental flags by the score.

The lecture ends by suggesting legacies—for good and for ill—from this early history. Mark Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, spoke at Boston College on ...

Decorated with classical figures, animals and slogans, only about 30 of these early American flags survive today. Now, 17 of these flags are on display at the Museum of the American Revolution in ...