Six flags over Texas

"Six flags over Texas" is the slogan used to describe the six countries that have had sovereignty over some or all of the current territory of the U.S. state of Texas: Spain (1519–1685; 1690–1821), France (1685–1690), Mexico (1821–1836), the Republic of Texas (1836–1845), the Confederate States of America (1861–1865), and the United States of America (1845–1861; 1865–present). This slogan has been incorporated into shopping malls, theme parks (Six Flags), and other enterprises. The six flags are also shown on the reverse of the Seal of Texas.

In 1997 the Texas Historical Commission adopted standard designs for representing the six flags.

The first flag belonged to Spain, which ruled most of Texas from 1519 to 1685 and 1690 to 1821. There were two versions of the Spanish flag used during this period. Both designs incorporate the "castle and lion" emblems of the Crown of Castile (see Flag of Castile and León). The Spanish flag used in the reverse of the Seal of Texas, which was also adopted by the Texas State Historical Commission, is the flag adopted by King Charles III, containing horizontal stripes of red-gold-red and the simple arms of Castile and León. This flag was used by Spain from 1793 to 1931, and from 1936 to the present day (though the current Spanish flag now has a different coat of arms).

The second flag was the royal banner of the Kingdom of France from 1684 to 1690. In 1684, French nobleman René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, founded a colony on the Texas Gulf Coast called Fort Saint Louis. The colony was unsuccessful, and after La Salle's murder, was soon abandoned. During this time, there was no official French flag, so a number of designs are used in displays of the "six flags".

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