Three Flags Day
Encyclopedia
Three Flags Day commemorates March 9 and 10, 1804, when Spain
officially turned over the Louisiana Territory
to France
, which in turn ceded the territory to the United States
in the Louisiana Purchase
.
The ceremony in St. Louis, Missouri
cleared the way for Lewis and Clark to begin their exploration.
which ended the Seven Years War (whose North American phase was the French and Indian War
) in which Spain received the French land west of the Mississippi River
(the "right bank" going downstream), and Great Britain received the French territory east of the river (the "left bank"), which had been called the Illinois Country
.
Spain officially took over its territory in 1769 when it suppressed the Rebellion of 1768
by settlers who did not want Spain to take over the Louisiana Colony
.
The United States extended its boundaries to the Mississippi in 1783 at the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War
via the Treaty of Paris (1783)
in which it acquired the Illinois Country.
On October 1, 1800, Napoleon concluded the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory for France from Spain in the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
. However, the treaty was kept secret and Spain continued to administer the territory.
The United States and France agreed on April 30, 1803 for the U.S. purchase of Louisiana (which was announced publicly in the United States on July 4). However the United States did not immediately take possession and Spain continued to administer the territory because it still had never formally turned it over to France.
After the United States purchase, Thomas Jefferson
announced plans for an exploration of the new territory. Spain, however, prohibited any foreign exploration of its territory. Lewis and Clark were to spend the winter of 1803-04 at Camp Dubois
in Illinois
opposite the confluence of the Missouri River
and Mississippi River
until the territory
was formally ceded to the United States.
.
On December 17, 1803, New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory were transferred to the United States in a ceremony with Laussat and incoming United States governor William C. C. Claiborne. However, with navigation on the Mississippi halted because of winter, the news was not conveyed to St. Louis.
On March 9 Amos Stoddard
(the new United States lieutenant governor for Upper Louisiana) and Meriwether Lewis
and arrived by boat and were met by the Spanish lieutenant for Upper Louisiana Don Carlos De Hault De Lassus. Lassus said:
The Spanish flag was lowered on March 9 and the French flag was hoisted over the city of St. Louis for 24 hours. The French flag, which initially supposed to have been lowered at sunset remained under guard all night. The next morning the flag of the United States was hoisted. This event is sometimes referred to as the "Three Flag Ceremony" or "Ceremony of Three Flags."
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
officially turned over the Louisiana Territory
Louisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory...
to France
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...
, which in turn ceded the territory to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
.
The ceremony in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
cleared the way for Lewis and Clark to begin their exploration.
Background
France had ruled Louisiana from its founding until the Treaty of Paris (1763)Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
which ended the Seven Years War (whose North American phase was the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
) in which Spain received the French land west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
(the "right bank" going downstream), and Great Britain received the French territory east of the river (the "left bank"), which had been called the Illinois Country
Illinois Country
The Illinois Country , also known as Upper Louisiana, was a region in what is now the Midwestern United States that was explored and settled by the French during the 17th and 18th centuries. The terms referred to the entire Upper Mississippi River watershed, though settlement was concentrated in...
.
Spain officially took over its territory in 1769 when it suppressed the Rebellion of 1768
Rebellion of 1768
The Rebellion of 1768 was an unsuccessful attempt by Creole and German settlers around New Orleans, Louisiana to stop the handover of the French Louisiana Territory, as had been stipulated in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, to Spain in 1768....
by settlers who did not want Spain to take over the Louisiana Colony
Louisiana (New France)
Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
.
The United States extended its boundaries to the Mississippi in 1783 at the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
via the Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
in which it acquired the Illinois Country.
On October 1, 1800, Napoleon concluded the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory for France from Spain in the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso was a secretly negotiated treaty between France and Spain in which Spain returned the colonial territory of...
. However, the treaty was kept secret and Spain continued to administer the territory.
The United States and France agreed on April 30, 1803 for the U.S. purchase of Louisiana (which was announced publicly in the United States on July 4). However the United States did not immediately take possession and Spain continued to administer the territory because it still had never formally turned it over to France.
After the United States purchase, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
announced plans for an exploration of the new territory. Spain, however, prohibited any foreign exploration of its territory. Lewis and Clark were to spend the winter of 1803-04 at Camp Dubois
Camp Dubois
Camp Dubois, near present day Hartford, Illinois, served as the winter camp for the Lewis and Clark Expedition from December 12, 1803, to May 14, 1804.It was located on the east side of the Mississippi River so that it was still in United States territory...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
opposite the confluence of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
and Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
until the territory
was formally ceded to the United States.
Ceremony
On November 30, 1803, Spain formally transferred the territory in a ceremony at Place d'Armes in New Orleans attended by Spanish Governors Juan Manuel de Salcedo and Sebastian de la Puerta y O'Farril and new French Governor Pierre Clement de LaussatPierre Clement de Laussat
Pierre Clément de Laussat was a French politician, and the last French governor of Louisiana.Laussat was born in the town of Pau. After serving as receveur général des finances in Pau and Bayonne, he was imprisoned during the Terror, but was released and recruited in the armée des Pyrénées. On...
.
On December 17, 1803, New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory were transferred to the United States in a ceremony with Laussat and incoming United States governor William C. C. Claiborne. However, with navigation on the Mississippi halted because of winter, the news was not conveyed to St. Louis.
On March 9 Amos Stoddard
Amos Stoddard
Amos Stoddard was born on October 26, 1762 to Anthony and Phebe Stoddard in Woodbury, Connecticut. He married Catherine Tallman. He died at Fort Meigs on May 11, 1813, where he was the artillery commander. Before this, he was commandant of Upper Louisiana.-Military and political career:He served...
(the new United States lieutenant governor for Upper Louisiana) and Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
and arrived by boat and were met by the Spanish lieutenant for Upper Louisiana Don Carlos De Hault De Lassus. Lassus said:
- People of Upper Louisiana, by order of the king I am now about to surrender this post and its dependencies. The flag which has protected you during nearly 36 years will no longer be seen. The oath you took now ceases to bind. Your faithfulness and courage in upholding it will be remembered forever. From the bottom of my heart I wish you all prosperity.
The Spanish flag was lowered on March 9 and the French flag was hoisted over the city of St. Louis for 24 hours. The French flag, which initially supposed to have been lowered at sunset remained under guard all night. The next morning the flag of the United States was hoisted. This event is sometimes referred to as the "Three Flag Ceremony" or "Ceremony of Three Flags."