Historical flags of Chile

Last modified: 2000-07-03 by antonio martins
Keywords: chile | independence | stars and stripes | transition | transición | patria vieja |
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• Flag of 1810
• Flag of 1816
• Flag of 1818

• Chile
• Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia

• Banderas de la Patria, at the Chilean Congress website (in spanish)

From the Cabildo Abierto of September 1810 until the defeat of patriot forces at Rancagua in September of 1814, the Chilean colony enjoyed a period of home rule that Chilean historigraphy calls La Patria Vieja
Ned Smith, 07 Sep 1999

Flag called the Old Country: blue on white on yellow. I believe that it was used in the first independence from 1810 to 1814.
Jaume Ollé 12 Jun 1996

The adoption of both a flag and an emblem to distinguish the patriots was suggested by Jose Miguel Carrera. This consisted of three stripes, white, blue and yellow and was adopted with solemnity on 30 September 1812, bearing the coat-of-arms of the Old Fatherland. This flag did not survive and was waved for the last time at the Battle of Rancagua (1814).
Dov Gutterman, 05 Sep 1999,
quoting from http://www.echileuk.demon.co.uk/band_ing.htm

The 1812 arms are created also by Carreras and show two natives, a column, a earth gloobe, and crossed palm and lance. The moto is «Post tenebras lux» (light — independence? — after darkness — spanish rule?). The better image that I know can be found in the printed reedition of my Bulletin, issue 6 [frp]. Was provided with an heraldist from Chile.
Jaume Ollé, 12 Sep 1999

The flag of 1810 was substituted by a similar design in which the yellow stripe was replaced by a red stripe. This flag was called Transition and it was used by the revolutionary troops between 1816 and 1817.
Jaume Ollé 12 Jun 1996

After the Battle of Chacabuco (1817) a so called “transition” flag was created, having three horizontal stripes, blue, white and red. The designed was attributed to Juan Gregorio de las Heras. However, this flag as the Old Fatherland's did not have the official recognition and it soon dissapear. This transition flag was also abolished because it was easily confused with the Dutch flag, among other reasons.
Dov Gutterman, 05 Sep 1999,
quoting from http://www.echileuk.demon.co.uk/band_ing.htm

In 1817 an American that was serving in the rebel army designed a flag with American reminescences, that was very similar to the current flag of Chile. In the center was sewn the national shield. Adopted by the rebel army in 1817, it was used to swear the Chilean independence February 12, 1818.
Jaume Ollé 12 Jun 1996

The present flag was created by Minister Jose Ignacio Zenteno and designed by Antonio Arcos, a Spanish military, although some would sustain that it was Gregorio de Andia y Varela who designed it. It was established on 18 October 1817 under the Government of the Supreme Director, Captain General Bernardo O’Higgins through a decree of the Ministry of War headed by Secretary of State, Colonel José Ignacio Zenteno. The decree is only known by indirect reference as the original copy was never found. The national flag was used publicly for the first time on 12 February 1818, during the official proclamation of the Independence and the swearing ceremony of the flag, and it was carried by Colonel Tomas Guido.
Dov Gutterman, 05 Sep 1999,
quoting from http://www.echileuk.demon.co.uk/band_ing.htm