Flag of the First Republic of Haiti

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A flag of the First Republic of Haiti. The flag is composed of two horizontal bands of worsted bunting, blue over red. Sewn onto the center of both sides of the flag is a square panel of off-white linen with the coat of arms of the Republic of Haiti painted in oil. The coat of arms consists of a royal palm tree on a green ground surmounted by a red Phrygian cap or “cap of liberty” and with a drum at its base. Flanking the palm on each side are three national flags, a bronze fieldpiece and stacked cannon balls, along with stands of muskets and bayonets. Below is a red scroll edged and lettered in yellow, bearing the words “REPUBLIQUE D’HAYTI.” The hoist end of the flag consists of a doubled reinforcing strip of light hemp or linen canvas with a hand-worked grommet hole at each end. The reverse of the hoist bears the label "HAYTIAN" written in iron-gall ink. All seams of the flag are flat-felled and handsewn with a running stitch of two-strand linen thread, much of which bears traces of rosin and/or wax.

Catalog date

early 19th century

Recorded places

Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America

Recorded subjects

African American; African diaspora; Communities; Decolonization; Government; Identity

Explore Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ↗