The Liberty Flag of Schenectady

When many Americans today see Old Glory, they are likely unaware of the many other flags that have flown before the star and stripes representing American Liberty and our country’s fight for freedom from tyranny. A variety of intricate designs and symbols have shown these principles since the revolution, while others have simply stated what we fight for. One such flag that expresses that simplicity of the American ideal of Liberty is the Liberty Flag of Schenectady. Designed as a square to give it a distinctive look, the flag first made its appearance in upstate New York following the French & Indian War, when Dutch settlers began flying the flag to express resentment of the arrival of greater numbers of English settlers, who bought enormous amounts of land and threatened the Dutch way of life. The first public display of the flag occurred in January 1771 in Schenectady, New York. The waves of Revolution soon engulfed the colonies, and the same ideals of the original Dutch colonists began to resonate with their loathed English neighbors, who felt their way of life was under threat from a far away tyrant: King George III. Three years after its first public display in Schenectady, it was hoisted again in January of 1774 to protest British authority. Despite fears of unrest, these protests remained peaceful. As Great Britain continued attempts to reinforce its authority on the colonies, the Sons of Liberty adopted the flag as a symbol, with numerous versions being adopted in the colonies. With American Independence being officially declared in 1776, and armed conflict ensuing between the Continental forces and King George’s armies, New Yorkers filled the ranks of the First New York Line Regiment, made up by many men from Schenectady, who reportedly adopted the Liberty flag and carried it into the numerous engagements during the war. Despite the tumultuous history that New York has faced in the 250 years of its existence, the Liberty Flag of Schenectady miraculously still survives to this day at the American Revolution Museum in Philadelphia. Believed to have been owned by Schenectady’s oldest surviving Revolutionary War veteran, Nicholas Vedeer, it has, until recently, been kept out of the public eye for decades for preservation reasons and the modern American flag being used to represent all of the United States. On the eve 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States, many replicas are used in revolutionary war reenactments and the town of Schenectady’s very own recreation the 1774 Liberty flag raising at the corner of Church and Union Streets. Although a simple design of a blue background and a white lettered word, the Schenectady Liberty Flag has come to represent a powerful symbol of colonial and local resistance. From its days of being used to protest tyrannical rule to being carried into battle to stand up for the ideal of independence, the Schenectady flag will remain as a symbol of a early American dissent and a reminder that Americans will always fight for liberty. 3x3” Woven Hook backing Release: 8/15/25