In 1785, the country of Spain imagined flags for its navy, pennants with distinctive configurations and colors that would not easily be mistaken with those of other nations like France, England and parts of Italy.
Out of a myriad of proposals that came out of a contest for the design, Antonio Valdés, Minister of the Spanish Navy narrowed the selection to twelve possibilities; these were then presented to King Charles III. The King chose one of them, altering its dimensions only slightly. This very same pattern with red and yellow stripes and “scutcheon” survives today as the oldest design for a flag still in use by a European power (the Tricolour of France dates back to 1794). A second version minus the royal coat-of- arms was also selected for use by merchant vessels.
At this time John Jay was Secretary of Foreign Affairs. It was in this capacity that on February 13, 1786 he sent some of the earliest hand-colored renderings of Spain’s new flag to New York State’s Governor Clinton.
On the eve of its John Jay Medal for Service dinner honoring Pulitzer Prize-Winner Joseph Ellis, author of “Founding Brothers” and “The Quartet,” the Jay Heritage Center is proud to announce that these original drawings and the accompanying letters have been donated to JHC by the family of one of Jay’s descendants. The flags and manuscripts will be briefly displayed at the 1838 Jay Mansion on Saturday night and then undergo conservation so that they can be preserved and shared with school groups and visitors to Jay’s home in Rye.
JHC President Suzanne Clary explained “Documents like these bring new focus to the many chapters of Jay’s service to his nation particularly his skills of diplomacy and his role in shaping our foreign policy. The Jay Heritage Center is immensely grateful to the members of the Jay Family whose contributions like these help us make American history an active discussion at this site.”