American Cockades

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR & WAR OF 1812

Before the Revolutionary War, American military wore the Hanovarian black
cockades of King George of Great Britain. When the colonies seceded from Britain,
they continued to wear the black cockades inherited from the mother country.
However, for the first few years of the war, General George Washington created a
new military cockade style. As the Continental Army has unfortunately no
uniforms, and consequently many inconveniences must arise from not being able

to distinguish the commissioned officers from the privates, it is desired that some
badge of distinction be immediately provided; for instance that the field officers
may have red or pink colored cockades in their hats, the captains yellow or buff,
and the subalterns green. July 23, 1775
In 1780, the military cockade system was changed again. France had entered the
war against Britain in 1778 and Frances cockade was white. Thus, as a symbol of
the two nations alliance, George Washington established that the American
cockade would be an Alliance Cockade black with a white center. Many of the
French troops likewise wore an Alliance Cockade of white with a black center.
After the war, the American military cockade was standardized once and for all.
All persons belonging to the army, to wear a black cockade, with a Small white
Eagle in the centre. The cockade of non-commissioned officers, musicians and
privates, to be of leather, with Eagles of tin. James McHenry, January 9, 1799.

THE CIVIL WAR 1860-1865

When the secession crisis broke out in 1860, political feeling was running high in both the
North and the South. Cockades were worn all over the states to proclaim the wearer's
political views. They were so widespread that the newspapers began listing the designs
each state was wearing. The Richmond Daily Dispatch reported:
South Carolina - This cockade is made of three layers of very dark blue cloth, notched at
the edges and fastened together by a gilt button, on which the following appears in relief:
In the centre is the "Palmetto," with two arrows (crossed,) and fastened together at the
point of crossing with a kow-knot of ribbon. The following is the motto around the button:
Animis opibusque parati - "Ready with our minds and means."
Virginia - This consists of a double rosette of blue silk, with a pendant of lemon color, the
whole fastened together by a gilt button, on which appears in relief the arms of Virginia,
with the name of the State and its motto encircling it. The motto is - Sic semper tyrannis.
Maryland - This cockade is formed of a double rosette of blue silk, with blue pendants,
and fastened the same as that of Virginia, with the State button, with the simple word
"Maryland" beneath the arms.
The Union Cockade - This is also a double rosette, the centre one being of red silk, the
inner one of white silk, and the pendants of blue. The gilt button that fastens the whole
together shows the eagle of America, surrounded by the stars of the United States.

Cockades were usually handmade by the ladies, though occasionally they were offered by
manufacturers and merchants. They were often created out of silk ribbon, but there is
documentation for cockades made of cotton and wool as well.

ALABAMA
Senator Toombs and the Ladies.-The Columbus (Ga.) Times, of the 30th ult., says: "Senator
Toombs was in the streets of Columbus, on Saturday, the "blue cockade" given him by the
fair ladies of Montgomery. God bless them! We are for them and a union with them, where
love, harmony, and good feeling exists, but are opposed to any other sort of Union." The
night that the Senator spoke in Montgomery many ladies wore the badge of secession.
- The Constitutional Union, November 16, 1860. Newspaper Research, 1861-1865
ARKANSAS
Neat and Appropriate.-We have received, from a young lady in Burrowsville, Searcy county,
a tasteful presentation in the shape of a rosette. It is so simple and pretty that we will
endeavor to describe it. A grain of corn is fastened, by means of a hole drilled through it, to
a floss of cotton, spread so as to form a circle; this is also attached to a light blue circle,
and the whole to a deep blue, of the usual size of a rosette. By using a grain of red corn,
we have the colors of the Confederacy flag; red, white and blue, while the corn and cotton
are emblematical of the Confederacy. The design and execution are both excellent.-The
present was sent with a patriotic note from the true hearted donor. In the revolution of '61

as in '76, the women are on the side of truth and liberty and, if need be, will show
themselves to be heroines as did their foremothers. God bless them and the Southern
Confederacy.
- Arkansas True Democrat, May 9, 1861

CONNECTICUT
While Gen. Wool and staff, one their recent trip to Connecticut, were awaiting in
Bridgeport the arrival of a train, a Copperhead adherent of Seymour showed the symbol of
his tribe (a badge) in the presence of the General. The Copperhead badge is the head of
Liberty on an old copper cent cut from the body of the coin, and attached to a pin, so that
it can be fastened as an emblem on the coat or vest of the wearer. The General regarded
the man for a moment, with an expression of scorn upon his face, and said, Such men
ought not to be at large you are a traitor.
- Cass County Republican, April 23, 1863

FLORIDA

We are pleased to learn that a company of "Minute Men" has recently been organized in
Fernadina, under the most favorable circumstances. The association already numbers
amongst its members many of our most respectable young men, who are fully impressed
with the emergency now so imminent, and who are prepared to defend and protect those
rights whose destruction is speedily threatened. The "blue cockade" is familiar to many of
the citizens of Florida, and the Palmetto State is not the only section where that emblem
will be worn and appreciated. From the tone and temper of the people of Florida, we
confidently expect the organization of "Minute Men" will pervade every portion of the State,
and embrace within its ranks our best and most patriotic citizens. Success to it!
- The Athens Post. (Athens, Tenn.), 02 Nov. 1860. Chronicling America: Historic American
Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

GEORGIA
It seemed to me that before we were well settled war excitement was at its height. South
Carolina had seceded, quickly followed by several other states; military companies were
diligently drilling, new ones were being rapidly formed; sound of the fife and the drum and
bands playing martial music filled the air. There were frequent political meetings, the
making and presentation of flags; ladies forming societies. Everything seemed to be
preparing for active service; and on all sides the cockade was visible.
- Clayton, Sarah Conley. "War Comes to Georgia." In Requiem for a Lost City: A Memoir of
Civil War Atlanta and the Old South, 40. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1999.

KANSAS
Imagine a man standing in a pair of long boots, covered with dust and mud and drawn over
his trousers, the latter made of coarse, fancy-colored cloth, well soiled; the handle of a
large Bowie-knife projecting from one or both boot-tops; a leathern belt buckled around his

waist, on each side of which is buckled a large revolver; a red or blue shirt, with a heart,
anchor, eagle or some other favorite device braided on the breast and back, over which is
swung a rifle or carbine; a sword dangling by his side; an old slouch hat, with a cockade or
brass start on the front or side, and a chicken, goose or turkey feather sticking in the top;
hair uncut and uncombed, covering his neck and shoulders; an unshaved face and unwashed
hands. Imagine such a picture of humanity, who can swear any given number of oaths in any
specified time, drink any quantity of bad whiskey without getting drunk, and boast of
having stolen a half dozen horses and killed one or more abolitionists, and you will have a
pretty fair conception of a border ruffian, as he appears in Missouri and Kansas.
- John H. Gihon, Geary and Kansas: Governor Geary's Administration in Kansas: with a
Complete History of the Territory Until June 1857, Philadelphia, Chas. C. Rhodes, 1857, p.
106-107
KENTUCKY

Sam Watkins in Co. Aytch reported, Everywhere could be seen Southern cockades made by
the ladies and our sweethearts. Later in the war (1862) he mentioned another incident of
cockades made by the women. I saw then what I had long since forgotten a cockade.
The Kentucky girls made cockades for us, and almost every soldier had one pinned on his
hat.
- Samuel R. Watkins, Co. Aytch, Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment(Chattanooga,
Times Printing, 1900), 12, 48
LOUISIANA
The South has even decided on a new symbol of independence - a blue cockade, an
iconoclastic emblem which was worn by anti-government rioters in London in 1780, and by
George Washington's armies during the Revolutionary War. Arrangements are now being
made to sell cockades at Baton Rouge's Armory Hall and other major meeting places across
the South. A Baton Rouge resident told our reporter that he fully intends to procure a

cockade, and adding: 'This badge is a perfect encapsulation of our resistance; simple,
visible and drenched in history. The whole of the South will be sporting a cockade by the
end of the year, mark my words.'
- Atlanta Southern Confederacy Newspaper, November 11, 1860
MARYLAND
Important from Washington: "The Government is determined to put a stop to the Secession
cockades and other emblems which have been so unblushingly exhibited in Baltimore for
months past and those found wearing them in the future will be arrested as traitors against
the Government."
- Public Ledger, Philadelphia, Pa, Saturday, September 7, 1861

MISSISSIPPI
A gentleman of this city, now travelling in Mississippi, says the Nashville Gazette, writes
back to a friend as follows: The further down I get, the more secession I see. Not content
with wearing the blue cockade themselves, the people put them up on wagons, carriages,
riding horses, etc. At one place where I stopped, all the negroes had them on. You may
safely put Mississippi down as dead out for secession.
- Memphis Daily Appeal. (Memphis, Tenn.), 09 Dec. 1860. Chronicling America: Historic
American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

MISSOURI
One of our citizens showed us yesterday a disunion cockade worn by the Missouri Minute
Men. It is a small and neat rosette of blue ribbons, with a silver star in the center and three
pieces of ribbon pending therefrom. The pendant ribbons are two blue and one white. They
are about 4 inches long, and on the white ribbon is printed, "Missouri Minute Men" - The
letter says they are becoming the prevailing style in St Louis, generally worn on the hat.
- Utica Daily Observer, Jan 16, 1860

NORTH CAROLINA
"Patriotic individuals were sporting secession badges on their lapels and bonnets. Described
as folded blue ribbons, some badges were red, white, and blue ribbons. Others wore a
flower posy called a Southern badge, which consisted of a cluster of hyacinths and
arborvitae tied with red/white/blue ribbons. Other men preferred a rosette of pinecones.
Both men and women wore blue cockades during secession in Rockingham County, N.C.
- McKean, Brenda Chambers, Blood And War At My Doorstep, VolumeI: North Carolina
Civilians in the War Between the States,

OHIO
The

Dayton Empires says, in respect to wearing badges in the common schools

of that city:If one class of children are allowed to wear Abolition
emblems, the other have the same right to wear Democratic
emblems, and we hope they will exercise it, if they feel
disposed.The Abolition emblems, mark it well, are the eagle
buttons, the tri color, and the stars and stripes. The Democratic
emblems, are copperheads and butternuts. Commercial.
Dayton Daily Empire. 23 April 1863

SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina is Arming.-We are glad to see the people of our State everywhere preparing
for the crisis which is at hand. As an offset to the "Wide-Awakes" of the North, "Minute Men"
are organizing in all the principal districts of South Carolina. Their object is to form an
armed body of men, and to join in with our fellow citizens, now forming in this and our
sister States as "Minute Men," whose duty is to arm, equip and drill, and be ready for any
emergency that may arise in the present perilous position of the Southern States.
In Kershaw, Abbeville and Richland Districts the organization is already complete and
powerful, embracing the flower of the youth, and led on by the most influential citizens.
The badge adopted is a blue rosette, two and a half inches in diameter, with a military
button in the centre, to be worn upon the side of the hat. Let the important work go
bravely on, and let every son of Carolina prepare to mount the blue cockade.
- Baton Rouge, LA Daily Advocate, October 22, 1860

TENNESSEE
A meeting has been held in Memphis preparatory to the organization of an association of
Minute Men. The Avalanche says:
The meeting being called to order, J. M. Crews, Esq. was called to the Chair, and S. House
appointed as Secretary. The meeting having been addressed by Mr. Haskell, of South
Carolina, on motion, a committee of five was appointed by the Chairman, to procure a
suitable hall for the meeting on Wednesday evening, for the purpose of adopting a
Constitution and electing officers - the Committee being invested with executive powers,
the President of the meeting to be Chairman of the Committee.
Committee. - Thos. H. Logwood. R. E. Chew, T. F. Tobin. W. L. Cooper, H. S. Park.
Moved and seconded that the roll for membership be opened this evening, and many of all
parties enrolled their names.
On motion, the blue cockade was adopted as a badge.
Moved and seconded that the proceedings of this meeting be published in all the city
papers.
The Committee to meet at the office of Dr. B. M. Lebby, on Monroe street, this evening at 4
o'clock.
On motion, the meeting adjourned by giving three hearty cheers for the Minute Men and
the South.
- Daily Nashville Patriot. (Nashville, Tenn.), 02 Nov. 1860. Chronicling America: Historic
American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

TEXAS
We have observed, for a few days past, a number of blue cockades, surmounted by metalic
five-pointed stars, worn on the hats or coats, of many of our citizens. The cockade is the
badge common to the citizens of the Southern States. The star is peculiar to Texians. The
combination of the two emblems seems particularly appropriate to the times. Doubtless
this badge will be adopted through Texas by those favoring resistance by State action to the
principles of the Black Republican party.
- Indianola [TX] Courier, November 24, 1860

VIRGINIA
Blue cockades are not uncommon here. I have been wearing one for nearly two months
and so help me God I intend if necessary to make the declaration implied by it good even
with my hearts blood.
- John H. Cochran to His Mother, December 11, 1860,Cochran Family Letters, 1860-1861,
Civil War Collections, Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, Blacksburg, Virginia.

History of the Blue Cockade - Part 1

If you know anything about American Civil War cockades, then you probably know that blue
was a favorite cockade color during the 1860 Secession Crisis. But why? What was the
symbolism behind the blue cockade?
To find that out, let's head back 28 years to theNullification Crisis of 1832.
The Abominations
There was a great deal of conflict over tariffs in our nation's history. Without an income tax
(the income tax wasn't initiated until 1862 under President Lincoln), much of the
government's money came from tariffs. And the South began to take issue with the way
tariffs were being handled. You see, since the South had less manufacturing than the North
(being mostly agrarian), they imported much more of their goods than did the North.
Hence, they paid more in tariffs. But that wasn't all of the problem. The South also felt
that government money was being unfairly apportioned in the nation because more was
spent for internal "improvements" in the North (such as roads and canals) than in the South.
In other words, the South was paying higher taxes for less benefits. Southerners, in a word,
were not happy campers.
Abominations Nullified
Thus it happened that when a particularly onerous tariff law was passed in 1828, called
the "Tariff of Abominations," Southerners protested. With the election of Andrew Jackson as
president, they hoped to see a reduction in the tariffs but the new compromise tariff law
passed in 1832 didn't satisfy many of them. South Carolinians finally had it with waiting on
politicians to get it right (sound familiar?) and passed the Ordinance of Nullification against
the tariff, declaring it unconstitutional.
Well, the Federal government wasn't going to take this lying down and military forces were
mobilized to enforce the tariff. To make things even more exciting, Vice President John C.
Calhoun was in favor of South Carolina's Nullification Ordinance, against President Jackson.
In fact, Calhoun stepped down as VP in order to run for the senate where he could more
adequately defend nullification. Eventually a compromise tariff was negotiated in February
1833 and South Carolina repealed her Ordinance of Nullification.
The Badge of the Nullifiers
And what, ladies and gentlemen, was the emblem of this crusade for states' rights and fair
tax laws? You guessed it - a blue cockade! Blackwoods Edinburg Magazine in 1866 stated of
the Nullification Crisis that, "Every man wore a blue cockade, with a palmetto button in the
centre, as the emblem of South Carolina, the Palmetto State. Every lady wore the same
favour in her bonnet or on her bosom."
Congressman Isaacs of Tennessee is quoted as stating sarcastically, "We learn, also, that
they have mounted the blue cockade. I wonder how it came to be blue. I have heard of
blue laws and blue lights, of the blue bells of Scotland, and the bonnets of blue; but I never
before heard of blue cockades! But, without respect to color, it is a badge of hostility an
emblem of war."

Note this lovely woodcut of a lady (obviously southern by her surroundings) patriotically
sewing a blue cockade on a cap.
Of course, all of this brings up an interesting question: Why did the Nullifiers choose a blue
cockade for their emblem?
Good question - and I answer it in PART TWO!
Posted by Heather Sheen
Tuesday, August 7, 2012

History of the Blue Cockade - Part 2

The blue cockade was a widespread emblem of states' rights during both theNullification
Crisis of 1832 and the Secession Crisis of 1860. Why was the blue cockade chosen for such a
political statement?
Let's head over to London in 1778 to find out.
As we Americans know from our textbooks, Britain was involved in a war with her American
colonies at this point. What we often forget is that Britain was also involved in warfare with
the French, the Spanish and the Dutch at the same time. Basically, the British army was
stretched pretty thin.
Furthermore, things weren't very pretty on the home front either. British citizens were
facing a poor economy, due in part to the country's
resources being spent on her many wars. Unpopular
wars, I might add - many British subjects actually
sympathized with the American colonies. Also, lots of
people were ticked off at the lack of proper
representation in Parliament (remember the American
colonists' rallying cry of "No taxation without
representation"?). And THEN the government pulled the
final punch - they passed the Papist Act of 1778.
Uh, the what?
OK, let's back up a little. One of the chief causes of the
embroglios in Europe for centuries was religion specifically, the Protestant Religion vs the Catholic
Religion. It wasn't so much the religious dogmas as it
was the issue of power. Which church hierarchy would
have the power of being the national religion? England
had for years been Protestant, fighting against the
power of the Pope in, for example, Spain and France.
There had been British anti-Catholic laws on the books
for some time although they weren't highly enforced
since,
um, many of the British troops came from largely Catholic areas like
Scotland and Ireland.

But the British government was running low on men and the anti-Catholic laws (such as the
one requiring a religious oath to join the army) were a deterrent for some men who would
have otherwise joined up. So the pragmatic thing to do was to loosen the anti-Catholic
laws, right?
Apparently not.
Protestants feared the loosening of anti-Catholic regulations by the Papist Act would bring
back Catholic power. Catholics feared that the loosening of the laws would spark a rash of
anti-Catholic feeling. Basically, nobody was happy with the Papist Act.
So you've got a government stretched thin by unpopular wars, high tax rates on
unrepresented people, and an unpopular governmental deregulation of Catholics: A perfect
recipe for
a jolly
good
riot.
Which
is

exactly what happened

in 1780.

Lord George Gordon, the first president of the Protestant Association in 1779, led the party
against the Papist Act. By 1780, Lord Gordon had a petition ready for Parliament to consider
and a backing of thousands of people who marched on the Houses of Parliament. The badge
of this organization?
You guessed it: A blue cockade.

Here's a picture of Lord Gordon haranguing the crowd. Note the blue ribbon in his hat, as
well as the hats of the spectators.
So we go forward in history about fifty years, and find a similar situation. An Englishspeaking people, the United States, is dealing with an unresponsive government, high
taxation, and bills run up by an unpopular war (the War of 1812). Naturally, the blue
cockade came to mind and was used as the symbol of a people pushing back against a
tyrannical government.
And that's where the American blue cockade had its roots. Cool, huh? Here's a Virginia
Secession Cockade, from the Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library
at the College of William and Mary. Pretty, isn't it?

Of course, you're wondering what happened to Lord Gordon and his blue cockaders, right?

Gordon's petition to Parliament was defeated 192 to 6. The people of London revolted and a
riot broke out. Prisons were broken into and in some cases destroyed, the Bank of England
was attacked and the properties of many Catholics and Catholic churches destroyed. It
wasn't till the army was called out and about 500 people shot or wounded that the riot was
finally quelled. Gordon was later tried for treason and acquitted.
Charles Dickens' 1841 novel Barnaby Rudge is based on the Gordon Riots, if you're
interested in reading some historical fiction on the subject. Though not completely
accurate, it is an interesting look at the times. For a more in-depth, hour-by-hour detailing
of the Gordon Riots, check out this article.
And the blue cockade? Well, it was decidedly frowned upon in London... at least for the
time. A quote from the era states,
"It is earnestly requested of all peaceable and well-disposed persons, (as well Protestants
associated as others) that they will abstain from wearing blue cockades; as these ensigns
are now assumed by a set of miscreants, whose purpose is to burn this city, and plunder its
inhabitants; ..."
Eighty years later, the Baton Rouge, LA Daily Advocate, on October 22, 1860 observed:
"South Carolina is Arming.We are glad to see the people of our State everywhere
preparing for the crisis which is at hand. As an offset to the "Wide-Awakes" of the North,
"Minute Men" are organizing in all the principal districts of South Carolina. Their object is
to form an armed body of men, and to join in with our fellow citizens, now forming in this
and our sister States as "Minute Men," whose duty is to arm, equip and drill, and be ready
for any emergency that may arise in the present perilous position of the Southern States.
"In Kershaw, Abbeville and Richland Districts the organization is already complete and
powerful, embracing the flower of the youth, and led on by the most influential citizens.
The badge adopted is a blue rosette, two and a half inches in diameter, with a military
button in the centre, to be worn upon the side of the hat. Let the important work go
bravely on, and let every son of Carolina prepare to mount the blue cockade."
Posted by Heather Sheen

The Tri-Color Cockade

If you've watched the recent movie Les Miserables, you have seen the
French tri-color cockade. Red, white and blue rosettes were inaugurated in the French
Revolution and have been linked with the history of France ever since.
The traditional colors of Paris were red and blue - red for Saint Denis and blue for Saint
Martin. These colors were paired with the white representing the French nation (or France's
royalty, as some claim) to make the tri-color combination during the Revolution.
This cockade was considered so vital in identifying your party affiliation that in 1792, a law
was made requiring Frenchmen to wear the tri-color cockade. Further, the female club
Societ des Rpublicaines-Rvolutionnaires threatened to whip any woman who didn't wear
the cockade, even though the cockades weren't mandated for women. Cockades were a
pretty serious business!

In subsequent years, those of the Royalist party would wear white cockades, while Socialists
preferred red. So the tri-color eventually became a symbol of nationalism and moderation
between the two extremes.
By the time of the World Wars, airplane roundels were based on national cockades. France's
roundel was, of course, the red, white and blue tri-color.
So that explains the French tri-color cockade. But what about the United States' tri-color

cockade? Where did it come from? After all, if you've kept up with my blog, you know that
the first American patriotic cockade was black and white, and later simply black. How did
we go from black to red, white and blue?

The Union Tri-Color

During the French Revolution which followed shortly on the heels of the American
Revolution, many Americans sympathized with the revolting French. Thomas Jefferson was
one of them. The "Francophiles," as they were sometimes called, wore the French tri-color
to show support for what they thought would be a similar bid for freedom in France. This,
by the way, is the cockade worn by James Monroe as American Minister to France in 1794.
But others in America were concerned by the excesses they saw in the French Revolution,
and the casting off of all authority, including God's. They still clung to the old Federalist
black cockade. But the Federalist party was soon to fall into disrepute (see my blog entry
on black cockades for reasons why) and the black cockade would fade away with it. Thus
was left for American patriots: The tri-color cockade!
By the time of the American Civil War, red, white and blue cockades were firmly linked with
United States patriotism, although there were many variations. A newspaper of the time
describes one design this way: "The Union Cockade: This is also a double rosette, the
center one being of red silk, the inner one of white silk, and the pendants of blue. The gilt
button that fastens the whole together shows the eagle of America surrounded by the
stars of the United States."(The Rolla Express, January 21, 1861)

Here are a couple of pictures of patriotic gentlemen from the 1860s, wearing their Union
cockades. As you can see, these are a couple more designs based on the red, white and
blue theme. Some Union cockades had stars in the center, some had pictures of George
Washington or other famous Americans, some had a military button, some had nothing at all
but just pleated or gathered ribbon.

Even up through the 1940s and World War II,

Union cockades were worn to show patriotism. This is a US cockade in my collection from
the World War II era. Cute little fashion statement, isn't it?

Of course, if you'd like to wear a tri-color cockade as a fashion statement now(whether

French or American) I have a number of options in my Etsy shop. Just click on the "French
Revolution" or "Union" sections on the left sidebar to enjoy the various reproductions I have
created.
And three cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

www.creativecockades.etsy.com

History of the Blue Cockade - Part 2

The blue cockade was a widespread emblem of states' rights during both theNullification
Crisis of 1832 and the Secession Crisis of 1860. Why was the blue cockade chosen for such a
political statement?
Let's head over to London in 1778 to find out.
As we Americans know from our textbooks, Britain was involved in a war with her American
colonies at this point. What we often forget is that Britain was also involved in warfare with
the French, the Spanish and the Dutch at the same time. Basically, the British army was
stretched pretty thin.
Furthermore, things weren't very pretty on the home front either. British citizens were
facing a poor economy, due in part to the country's resources being spent on her many
wars. Unpopular wars, I might add - many British subjects actually sympathized with the
American colonies. Also, lots of people were ticked off at the lack of proper representation
in Parliament (remember the American colonists' rallying cry of "No taxation without
representation"?). And THEN the government pulled the final punch - they passed the Papist
Act of 1778.
Uh, the what?
OK, let's back up a little. One of the chief causes of the embroglios in Europe for centuries
was religion - specifically, the Protestant Religion vs the Catholic Religion. It wasn't so much
the religious dogmas as it was the issue of power. Which church hierarchy would have the
power of being the national religion? England had for years been Protestant, fighting
against the power of the Pope in, for example, Spain and France. There had been British
anti-Catholic laws on the books for some time although they weren't highly enforced since,
um, many of the British troops came from largely Catholic areas like Scotland and Ireland.
But the British government was running low on men and the anti-Catholic laws (such as the
one requiring a religious oath to join the army) were a deterrent for some men who would
have otherwise joined up. So the pragmatic thing to do was to loosen the anti-Catholic
laws, right?
Apparently not.
Protestants feared the loosening of anti-Catholic regulations by the Papist Act would bring
back Catholic power. Catholics feared that the loosening of the laws would spark a rash of
anti-Catholic feeling. Basically, nobody was happy with the Papist Act.
So you've got a government stretched thin by unpopular wars, high tax rates on
unrepresented people, and an unpopular governmental deregulation of Catholics: A perfect
recipe for a jolly good riot.
Which is exactly what happened in 1780.

Lord George Gordon, the first president of the Protestant Association in 1779, led the party
against the Papist Act. By 1780, Lord Gordon had a petition ready for Parliament to consider
and a backing of thousands of people who marched on the Houses of Parliament. The badge
of this organization?
You guessed it: A blue cockade.
Here's a picture of Lord Gordon haranguing the crowd. Note the blue ribbon in his hat, as
well as the hats of the spectators.

So we go forward in history about fifty years, and find a similar situation. An Englishspeaking people, the United States, is dealing with an unresponsive government, high
taxation, and bills run up by an unpopular war (the War of 1812). Naturally, the blue
cockade came to mind and was used as the symbol of a people pushing back against a
tyrannical government.
And that's where the American blue cockade had its roots. Cool, huh? Here's a Virginia
Secession Cockade, from the Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library
at the College of William and Mary. Pretty, isn't it?

Of course, you're wondering what happened

to Lord Gordon and his blue cockaders, right?
Gordon's petition to Parliament was defeated
192 to 6. The people of London revolted and
a riot broke out. Prisons were broken into
and in some cases destroyed, the Bank of
England was attacked and the properties of
many Catholics and Catholic churches
destroyed. It wasn't till the army was called
out and about 500 people shot or wounded
that the riot was finally quelled. Gordon was
later tried for treason and acquitted.
Charles Dickens' 1841 novel Barnaby Rudge is
based on the Gordon Riots, if you're
interested in reading some historical fiction
on the subject. Though not completely
accurate, it is an interesting look at the
times. For a more in-depth, hour-by-hour detailing of the Gordon Riots, check out this
article.
And the blue cockade? Well, it was decidedly frowned upon in London... at least for the
time. A quote from the era states,
"It is earnestly requested of all peaceable and well-disposed persons, (as well Protestants
associated as others) that they will abstain from wearing blue cockades; as these ensigns
are now assumed by a set of miscreants, whose purpose is to burn this city, and plunder its
inhabitants; ..."
Eighty years later, the Baton Rouge, LA Daily Advocate, on October 22, 1860 observed:
"South Carolina is Arming.We are glad to see the people of our State everywhere
preparing for the crisis which is at hand. As an offset to the "Wide-Awakes" of the North,
"Minute Men" are organizing in all the principal districts of South Carolina. Their object is
to form an armed body of men, and to join in with our fellow citizens, now forming in this
and our sister States as "Minute Men," whose duty is to arm, equip and drill, and be ready
for any emergency that may arise in the present perilous position of the Southern States.
"In Kershaw, Abbeville and Richland Districts the organization is already complete and
powerful, embracing the flower of the youth, and led on by the most influential citizens.
The badge adopted is a blue rosette, two and a half inches in diameter, with a military
button in the centre, to be worn upon the side of the hat. Let the important work go
bravely on, and let every son of Carolina prepare to mount the blue cockade."
Posted by Heather Sheen at 6:37 PM
http://creativecockades.blogspot.com/

MARYLAND SECESSION BADGES

Cockades were ribbons of varying layers and complexity encircling a button to which they were attached. Usually worn on
men's hats for decoration, they could take on political purpose, as seen in the white cockades of the 1745 Jacobite rising or the
blue-white-red of the French Revolution. The blue cockades of the American Revolution were revived in 1860 by prosecessionist Southerners. A Mississippi newspaper reported that "the [Maryland] cockade is formed of a double rosette of blue
silk, with blue pendants, and fastened the same as that of Virginia, with the State button, and the single word "Maryland"
beneath the arms." Below are surviving Maryland samples of these.