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Three Flags Day
Photo from the Missouri History Museum Collections N01206 Grade Level: Secondary Estimated Time: 1 -2 Hours
Show-Me Standards: Communication Arts: 3. Reading and evaluating nonfiction works and material (such as biographies, newspapers, technical manuals) 6. Participating in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas Social Studies: 2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world 6. Relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions
Lesson Objectives: 1.To educate students on the history of St. Louis and Missouri. 2.To improve student's comprehensive reading abilities. 3.To improve student's understanding of colonial relationships of countries and people.
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Important Points: The three flags flown were those of the Spanish Empire, French Republic, and the United States of America. The date of Three Flags Day was March 9-10, 1804. Spain controlled the Louisiana Territory from 1762 to 1800 with the Treaty of Fontainebleau. St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau. France, under Napoleon, regained control in 1800 with the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso. Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to President Thomas Jefferson in 1803. Because of difficulty of travel in the winter, the flags were not changed until 1804. Since the Third Treaty of San Illdefonso was secret, Spanish officials still governed the territory until the deal with Jefferson was revealed. The French flag was only supposed to fly for six hours, but because St. Louis was a French city by birth, it flew for 24 hours. Vocabulary Words: Spanish Empire: A Catholic Monarchy that ruled from 1492 until the dissolution in 1976. The monarchy was represented by a flag bearing the Cross of Burgundy. First French Republic: Founded during the French Revolution, the First French Republic lasted until 1804 when Napoleon Bonaparte declared France to be an empire. The Republic was represented by the tricolore flag designed by the Marquis de Lafayette. United States of America: A federal republic and representative democracy, established on July 4, 1776. In 1803, the United States was represented by the Great Garrison Flag, known today as the Star-Spangled Banner, a flag consisting of 15 stars and 15 stripes. Louisiana Territory: A large piece of land claimed by the French, Spanish, and United States. Lewis and Clark explored the claim between 1804 and 1806. Treaty: A formal agreement between two parties, typically countries. Flag: A piece of cloth, or emblem, used as a symbol to represent a country, state, city, or institution. St. Louis: A city in the State of Missouri founded by French traders Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau in 1764. Territory: An area of land under control of a ruler or state. In the United States a territory is a division of the country that does not have the full rights of a state and its own separate legislature.
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Three Flags Day St. Louis has always been important to the people who have lived here. Located at the confluence of Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, the area has always been a hub for trading, particularly furs, and travel. Before Europeans came, St. Louis was occupied by mound builders and later, the tribes of the Missouri and Osage Indians.
In 1682, the land that would become known as the Louisiana Territory was claimed by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle for France and named after King Louis IX. France would retain the land until 1762 when they were forced to surrender it to the Spanish Empire with the Treaty of Fontainebleau, after losing the French and Indian War.
Although the territory belonged to the Spanish Empire, French fur traders Pierre Laclede and his stepson, Auguste Chouteau, founded St. Louis on February 15, 1764. Chouteau was left in charge of building fortifications that winter while Laclede gathered more supplies down river. The pair created strong bonds with the Osage Indians, establishing the city as a central point of the fur trade. In 1768, a Spanish Governor was appointed to the territory and the city came under the official control of the Spanish Empire.
In 1800, the Third Treaty of Ildefenso transferred the territory of Louisiana to the First Republic of France, which was under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte. It would take until 1802 for the Spanish King, Carlos IV, to complete the agreement. Napoleon, struggling to find funding to aid in his military campaign, quickly sold the Louisiana Territory to President Thomas Jefferson of the United States of America for 15 million dollars in 1803. As travel was very slow and news took weeks, if not months, to reach certain locations, it was not until 1804 that St. Louis came under American control. This resulted in the day known as Three Flags Day.
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Three Flags Day
Three Flags Day is a day that is unique to the City of St. Louis. Between March 9 and 10 in 1804 the flag was changed three times. When the day began, the flag of the Spanish Empire was raised. At noon, the flag was replaced with the symbol of the First Republic of France, which would fly for 24 hours in honor of St. Louis. On March 10, the French flag was replaced by the flag of the United States of America. The changes were celebrated with a large party that included many historic figures such as Auguste Chouteau, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark.
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Three Flags Day: Questions
Starting in 1682, list the years and who controlled the area known as the Louisiana Territory.
What was the name of the treaty that France made with Spain? Why was France forced to do this?
Who founded the City of St. Louis and in what year?
What was the name of the treaty that Spain made with France?
Who was the leader of each country in the 1800s?
Why was the French Flag raised for 24 hours?
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Three Flags Day: Critical Thinking Why was the area that became St. Louis chosen for settlement? Do any of these reasons still hold today? What are the reasons St. Louis is geographically important today?
What are some of the French influences that can still be seen in St. Louis?
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Three Flags Day: Critical Thinking What do you think are some other important events that have occurred in St. Louis? Explain why you think these events were, and are important.
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Three Flags Day: Activities
In the space above, or on a separate sheet of paper, design a flag that represents you. Explain why you chose each element of your flag's design.
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