La Bandera de las Tres Garantias

Several banners in use at the time serve as starting points for research into this subject. The first of these is the Mexican tri-color, itself. We are not so much concerned with the symbolism of the flag as we are its history. Since declaring its independence from Spain in 1821, there have been only two flag designs for the United States of Mexico. The first Mexican tri-color flag had a white, green, and red fields that ran diagonally across the flag. In each field was a gold star. This flag is referred to as "La Bandera de los Tres Garantias" or the Flag of the Three Guarantees. This flag was used from 1821 until 1824 at which time Agustín de Iturbide was deposed as Emperor of Mexico and the liberal Constitution of 1824 was implemented.

Mexican Federal Flag

The Federal flag of the United States of Mexico that was adopted in 1824 is substantially the same flag that is in use today by that country. This flag consists of green, white and red vertical fields of equal size. In the center of the white field is an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. With only minor modifications in the design of the eagle motif, this flag has been the National Flag of Mexico since 1824 and was the banner in use during the Texas Revolution.

During the first few months of the Revolution, many of the Texian leaders were simply trying to lend their part in the larger Federalist Revolution that was being waged against the Centralist Regime of Santa Anna in other parts of Mexico. The first reference to a banner resembling the 1824 Flag is one which appears in a letter from Philip Dimmit, commanding the garrison at Goliad, to General Stephen F. Austin, Commander in Chief of the Army of the People, dated October 27th 1835. Dimmit writes:

"I have had a flag made - the colours, and their arrangement the same as the old one - with the words and figures, ‘Constitution of 1824,’ displayed on the white, in the center."

 

Constitution Flag of 1824

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