South Carolina Navy Flag, SC Naval Jack 3 X 5 ft. Standard

South Carolina Colonial Navy Flag 1778

South Carolina Colonial Navy Flag — SC Naval Jack 1778

Size:  3×5 ft | Standard Polyester

Documented by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams

On October 9, 1778, two of the most consequential Americans of the founding era sat in France and wrote a letter explaining their nation’s flags to the ambassador of Naples. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams — serving as American Commissioners to the French Court — were doing the diplomatic work of making the United States legible to European powers that had never dealt with anything quite like it.

Their description of South Carolina’s state naval flag survives as one of the most precise primary source records of any Revolutionary-era state flag:

“The vessels of war of the state of South Carolina [fly] a rattlesnake in the middle of thirteen stripes.”

That letter, written from Paris while the Revolution was still being fought, is the documentary foundation for this flag.

State Navies — An Overlooked Chapter of the Revolution

Most Americans are familiar with the Continental Navy — the national fleet established by Congress in 1775, commanded by Esek Hopkins, flying the First Navy Jack and the Gadsden Flag. Far fewer know that several individual states maintained their own separate naval forces alongside the Continental Navy, flying entirely distinct flags that identified their vessels as belonging to a specific state rather than the federal force.

South Carolina was among them. The state’s vessels of war flew the rattlesnake on thirteen stripes — a design that shared visual vocabulary with the Continental Navy’s flags while remaining distinctly South Carolinian. Massachusetts flew a pine tree on its state naval vessels. Other states had their own designs.

Franklin and John Adams were explaining this layered system to European diplomats who had no frame of reference for a nation where states maintained meaningful military independence alongside a central government. The letter to the Neapolitan ambassador was effectively a flag identification guide — here is what an American ship looks like, depending on which American ship it is.

The Diplomatic Context

Franklin and Adams’ presence in France was itself the result of one of the Revolution’s most critical strategic achievements. The Treaty of Alliance with France had been signed on February 6, 1778 — securing French recognition of American independence and bringing the world’s second-greatest naval power into the war against Britain. The October 1778 letter came eight months after that treaty, as the Americans were working to extend their diplomatic relationships further across Europe.

Explaining American flags to the Neapolitan ambassador was part of that broader effort — establishing the visual identity of American naval power in the minds of European courts that would be watching American ships move through their waters and ports. The South Carolina rattlesnake flag was part of the picture Franklin and Adams were painting of a new nation with a complex, decentralized military structure that European monarchies found genuinely difficult to understand.

Rear Admiral Preble’s Documentation

The other major historical source for this flag is Rear Admiral George Henry Preble, whose foundational work on American flag history — published in the 19th century — remains one of the essential references for Revolutionary-era vexillology. Preble’s documentation of the South Carolina naval jack, combined with the Franklin-Adams letter, provides a two-source historical foundation that places this flag among the better-documented state naval flags of the period.

Preble spent years compiling accounts, illustrations, and primary sources on American flags at a time when many of the original documents and eyewitness accounts were still accessible. His work preserved records that might otherwise have been lost entirely.

Flag Details & Construction

Quality Tier: Standard Quality

• Size: 3 feet x 5 feet
• Material: Super-weave polyester — 100% synthetic, waterproof
• Print: Through-printed design visible on both sides
• Edges: Double-stitched throughout
• Header: Reinforced brass grommet rings for easy pole attachment
• Lightweight — flies well in fair-weather breeze

Recommended Uses

• Outdoor fair-weather pole display
• American Revolutionary War and naval history reenactments
• Museum and historical society display
• South Carolina heritage and state history collections
• Indoor wall display and Americana-themed décor
• Educational and institutional historical exhibits
• Gift for maritime history enthusiasts, South Carolina heritage collectors, and American Revolutionary War buffs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary historical source for this flag? A letter written by American Commissioners Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to the ambassador of Naples at the Court of France, dated October 9, 1778, which describes South Carolina’s state naval vessels flying “a rattlesnake in the middle of thirteen stripes.” This letter is one of the most precise primary source records of any Revolutionary-era state naval flag.

How is this different from the First Navy Jack? Both feature a rattlesnake on thirteen stripes, but they represent different institutions. The First Navy Jack was the Continental Navy’s flag — the national fleet under Commodore Esek Hopkins. The South Carolina Naval Jack was a state flag, flown specifically by South Carolina’s own state naval vessels, distinct from the national force. Franklin and Adams’ letter explicitly notes the difference between state naval flags and the US national flag.

Why did individual states have their own navies? During the Revolution, the individual states maintained significant military independence alongside the central Continental Congress. Several states — including South Carolina and Massachusetts — established their own naval forces to defend their coasts and commerce, operating separately from the Continental Navy. Each state fleet had its own flag, chain of command, and operational priorities.

Who was Rear Admiral Preble and why does his documentation matter? George Henry Preble was a 19th-century US Navy officer and historian whose work on American flag history became a foundational reference for the field. He compiled primary sources, eyewitness accounts, and period illustrations of American flags at a time when many original documents were still accessible, preserving records that might otherwise have been lost. His documentation of the South Carolina naval jack is one of the flag’s key historical sources alongside the Franklin-Adams letter.

What were Franklin and Adams doing in France in 1778? They were serving as American Commissioners — diplomats tasked with securing European recognition of American independence and building the alliances the Revolution needed to succeed. The Treaty of Alliance with France, signed February 1778, was their greatest achievement. The October 1778 letter to the Neapolitan ambassador reflects their ongoing effort to establish American legitimacy with other European courts.

Check out our  Ultimate Flags Collection of Gadsden Flags