Pensacola-City of Five Flags

The First Floridians - Before the arrival of Spanish explorers in 1513, Florida was home to at least 250,000 Native Americans who were part of several cultural groups. These first Floridians developed extensive trade routes and complex societies. During the 16th century, the Florida Panhandle was home to several smaller groups such as the Panzacola, Chatot and Sawokli Indians.  The area’s sheltered bays and estuaries provided abundant food sources for them as they hunted and fished along the West Florida coast.

Spain did not have a national flag when Juan Ponce de León first set foot on the shores of Florida in 1513.  At the time, the Spanish royal banner was the flag of Castile and León. This flag has become popularly associated with the early Spanish explorations of the Americas.

Spanish soldiers and explorers used a flag bearing the Cross of Burgundy, also known as the Burgundian saltire, when they occupied Florida from 1565 to 1763. This flag had been introduced into Spain by Philip I, Duke of Burgundy, and was later established as one of the country’s banners by his son, King Charles I, in 1516.  The flag’s jagged-edged cross symbolizes the rough branches of the trees on which Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Burgundy, was crucified.

In 1564, French explorers established a short-lived settlement at the mouth of the St. Johns River, near present-day Jacksonville.  At the time, there was no single flag for France.  These early French settlers probably flew the banner of France, which featured a blue field with three golden fleur-de-lis.  This is likely the flag used by the French when they occupied Pensacola from 1719 to 1722.

The flag of Britain flew over Florida from 1763 until 1783.  The main element of the British flag was the red Cross of St. George, the patron saint of England.  Behind the St. George cross is the Scottish white cross of St. Andrew.

In 1785, Charles III of Spain established this flag as the country’s naval ensign.  The banner was used over Spanish forts and government buildings beginning in 1793.  It flew over Florida until the United States took official possession of the territory in 1821.

The United States government admitted Florida to the Union as the twenty-seventh state on March 3, 1845.  Florida had been a territory since 1821.  At that time, the American flag bore 23 stars.  Florida’s star was added to the U. S. Flag on July 4, 1845.

During the Civil War, Florida fought under several different Confederate flags.  The Stars and Bars flag, now called the Confederate first national pattern, was selected by the Confederate government in March 1861.  Because of its similarity to the U. S. flag, the Stars and Bars was sometimes confused with the Stars and Stripes in the smoke of battle.  Later, a more distinctive banner was designed to replace the Stars and Bars on the battlefield.

Past Celebrations

In 1949, a group of Pensacola’s leaders met and decided the city should hold an annual celebration during the early summer months to educate guests and citizens about Pensacola’s rich heritage and important history. The committee decided that the celebration should feature each country which governed Pensacola with each country being represented by the flag flown over Pensacola at time of occupation.  Having been under the ruling of Spain, Britain, France, the Confederacy and the United States, Pensacola became known as the “City of Five Flags.”

At the time of the 1949 celebration, Pensacola was a small community at this time with 43,000 citizens in the city and another 69,000 in Escambia County. This early commemoration would reach its culmination in 1959 with the 400th Anniversary or Quadricentennial Celebration. The Florida Legislature voted to create a state Quadricentennial Commission and approved a plan to have a seven year celebration, beginning at Pensacola in 1959 and climaxing at St. Augustine in 1965. The Quadricentennial opening day was May 14, 1959. The commemoration was billed as the first 400th anniversary in North America, the original settlement day for both Florida and Pensacola. A commitment was made by the Santa Rosa Island Authority to donate two pieces of land to be used for exhibition purposes. On this land a historic village was created to educate the public about life in Pensacola when the Spanish first settled here.