Last modified: 2003-02-22 by joe mcmillan
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![[Flag of Acre (Brazil)]](../images/b/br-ac.gif)
7:10 by Joseph McMillan
Officially adopted 15 March 1921, confirmed 1 March 1963
The Acre flag is split diagonally from the upper fly to the lower hoist. The upper part
is yellow and the lower part green. In the yellow, near the hoist, is located the
"lone star" (estrela solitária) that symbolizes the light that guided those who
supported the incorporation of the Acre territory into Brazil. Yellow symbolizes peace
and green hope, according to José Plácido de Castro, who adapted the ancient design of
the revolutionary era to the proposal of Colonel Rodrigo de Carvalho, leader of an earlier
revolution in the area. The basic design had been adopted by Don Luís Galvez
Rodriguez de Arias. The flag was officially adopted by Governor Epaminondas Jacome.
Jaume Ollé, 28 June 1996
Acre was constituted as a federal territory of Brazil on 25 February 1904. The
territorial governor adopted a revised form of the Galvez-Castro flag as the
territorial flag on 15 March 1921, with the direction of the diagonal dividing
line and the position of the yellow and green triangles reversed, as at present.
It is not clear whether this change was made for the first time in 1921 or if it
had already occurred de facto before then. The territory of Acre became a state on 15
June 1962 under federal law no. 4070.
Its Constitution, adopted 1 March 1963, states (Title II, Chapter I, Article 8)
that "The symbols of the state shall be the flag, hymn, and arms that were adopted
by the Independent State of Acre."
Joseph McMillan, 15 August 2002
About 1978 I asked for information about the Acre flag. Profesor Arthur Luponi sent me
a printed construction sheet of the flag showing the ratio as 7:10. [The image above is based on
this construction sheet - ed.] Based on that, I believe that
the proportion of the first flag was 11:20 but when adopted as the territorial (and later state)
flag, it was in the proportions 7:10 like the national brazilian flag. Yes,
Whitney Smith gives 11:20 as the proportions, but he must be confusing the current flag with that
of the first decree.
Jaume Ollé, 25 August 2002
At the on-line edition of Jornal A Tribuna
is a story from August 2002 to the effect that the Acre state government is building a 60 meter (197 ft)
flagpole in connection with the centennial of Acre's definitive joining of Brazil. The pole will fly a
12 x 17 meter (39 x 56 ft) flag. This news story supports a 7:10 ratio for the Acre state flag, since
12:17 is, for all practical purposes, 7:10.
Joseph McMillan, 8 October 2002
11:20
by Joseph McMillan
The flag of Acre originates from that created by decree no. 17 of 1889, issued by Luiz Galvez
Rodrigues de Arias, leader of the 1899-1900 expedition seeking to seize control of
what is now Acre from Bolivia. According to Klein, this flag was a diagonal
bicolor in the Brazilian national colors, divided from upper hoist to lower fly,
green over yellow. That this flag did not have a star on it seems a reasonable
conclusion from the fact that the presence of the star is attributed to Acrean
leaders who were not involved in this first revolt (see below).
Joseph McMillan, 15 August 2002
Pedro Aguiar reported a white-green-white Acrean flag with a silver star in the upper white and green
stripes, but I cannot find any confirming information. A white-green-white flag could have been used (a)
between 1 May 1889, when the Brazilian population gained control over the territory, and 14 July 1889,
when Luis Galvez proclaimed the first Acrean republic, or (b) from the proclamation of the republic until
the unknown date of adoption of the green-yellow flag. The first republic lasted until March 1900.
It's known that the second republic (November 1900-24 December 1900) used the green and yellow flag.
Jaume Ollé, 25 August 2002
11:20
by Joseph McMillan
The forces of Plácido de Castro, leader of the third and final Acrean revolt
in 1902-03, are reported to have flown the same flag used by Galvez, but with
a red star added to the yellow field. The idea of adding the star is credited
to the leader of the second revolution (Nov-Dec 1900), Colonel Rodrigo de Carvalho.
Ironically, this made the three colors of the Acrean flag the same as those of
Bolivia. Klein shows an image of this flag--green over yellow, upper hoist to
lower fly, with the red star in the hoist on the yellow area, and with unusually
long, narrow proportions.
Joseph McMillan, 15 August 2002
Sources:
Because of the area's wealth in rubber, the Brazilians were interested in Acre from the middle of the 19th century. The first to arrive came in 1852, continued in 1861 and in subsequent years. The arrival of Brazilian colonists in considerable numbers started in 1877 (3 April).
Though the territory was under Bolivian sovereignty by virtue of the Hispano-Portuguese Treaty of 1750, the Bolivians had no presence in the zone. When Colonel Pando staged a coup d'état in Bolivia against President Aniceto Arce and failed, he took refuge in Brazil and learned of the situation in Acre where the Brazilian colonists were taking possession of the region.
Pando alerted the Bolivian government and began diplomatic maneuvers. In 1898 Bolivia established access to Acre, which caused the armed revolt of the Brazilian inhabitants with the support of the authorities of the State of Amazonas (1 May 1899). Under pressure from Attorney José Carvalho, the Bolivians were forced to abandon the zone. To avoid the return of the Bolivians, the governor of Amazonas, Ramalho Júnior, organized the entry into the region of a unit of adventurers under the command of Luis Galvez Rodriguez de Arias, a Spaniard, who left from Manaus on 4 June 1899, arriving at the Bolivian establishment called Puerto Alonso, which Galvez renamed Porto Acre, proclaiming there the Republic of Acre on 14 July 1899. In spite of this, the Brazilian government considered Acre Bolivian territory by virtue of international treaties (especially one signed in Ayacucho in 1867), so it supported diplomatically a Bolivian military force that suppressed the Acre Republic on 15 March 1900.
Soon afterward, the Bolivian force in Acre was blockaded in Porto Acre by the Brazilians of the region, who again received help from the governor of Amazonas, Silvério Neri, by means of a new expedition (called the Expedition of the Poets) under command of the journalist Orlando Correa Lopez, which proclaimed the Second Republic of Acre (November 1900) with Rodrigo de Carvalho as president.
Defeated by the Bolivians (24 December 1900), the Second Republic was also suppressed. On 6 August 1902 a Brazilian soldier called José Plácido de Castro, sent by Governor Neri of Amazonas, arrived in Acre and began the so-called Acrean Revolution. The rebels took all the region except Porto Acre, which was not yielded until 24 January 1903. On 27 January 1903, the Third Republic of Acre was proclamed, this time relying on the support of Brazilian President Rodrigues Alves and his Foreign minister, the Baron of Rio Branco, who ordered the occupation of a part of Acre. There the territorial government of North Acre was established under the rule of General Olímpio da Silveira.
In Bolivia, Colonel Pando had become president, and he marched with troops to fight the revolutionaries. Before any significant combat occurred, Brazilian and Bolivian representatives signed a preliminary peace agreement (21 March), ratified afterwards in the Treaty of Petrópolis (17 November 1903), by which Bolivia relinquished all the territory to Brazil in exchange for other territories in Mato Grosso.
Acre was converted to a Brazilian federal territory by the Law of 25 February 1904 and executive decree of 7 of April 1904. It was elevated to statehood on 15 June 1962.
The former Acre president, Plácido de Castro, died on 11 August 1908.
Jaume Ollé, 28 June 1996