Flag Day Monument

05/25/2026

Troops 6 & 606 are proud to post 980 flags all across Batavia this morning!

05/25/2026

A peaceful morning for this Memorial Day.

05/24/2026

Did You Know? The increasing height of the Flag Day Monument’s helix wall, designed by architect Steve Vasilion, is a representation of the population growth of America from 1776 until today.

When the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, the emerging nation was a small, overwhelmingly agrarian country of just **2.5 million people**—roughly the size of modern-day Houston, Texas!

Because the first official federal census wasn't taken until 1790, historians use tax rolls, militia rosters, and colonial records to piece together this fascinating snapshot of America in 1776:

The Powerhouse Colonies

Power and population were concentrated in the South and the mid-Atlantic. **Virginia** was the undisputed demographic titan, home to nearly 30% of the entire colonial population.
1️⃣ **Virginia:** 747,610
2️⃣ **Pennsylvania:** 434,373
3️⃣ **Massachusetts** *(incl. Maine)*: 378,787
4️⃣ **North Carolina:** 270,000
5️⃣ **Maryland:** 230,000
6️⃣ **New York:** 210,000
7️⃣ **Connecticut:** 205,000
8️⃣ **South Carolina:** 180,000
9️⃣ **New Jersey:** 125,000
🔟 **New Hampshire:** 85,000
1️⃣1️⃣ **Rhode Island:** 68,825
1️⃣2️⃣ **Delaware:** 59,094
1️⃣3️⃣ **Georgia:** 40,000

The Top 10 Urban Centers

Less than 5% of colonists lived in cities, and every single major hub was defined by maritime trade. Check out the top 10 largest cities in 1776:
1️⃣ **Philadelphia, PA** (~30,000)
2️⃣ **New York, NY** (~22,000)
3️⃣ **Boston, MA** (~16,000)
4️⃣ **Charleston, SC** (~12,000)
5️⃣ **Baltimore, MD** (~6,500)
6️⃣ **Newport, RI** (~6,500)
7️⃣ **Salem, MA** (~5,300)
8️⃣ **Providence, RI** (~4,500)
9️⃣ **Norfolk, VA** (~4,000)
🔟 **Hartford, CT** (~3,500)

05/20/2026

The Liberty Education Plaza, a project to enhance the Flag Day Monument by the Illinois Daughters of the American Revolution under the leadership of State Regent Marria Blinn, will be dedicated on Flag Day, Sunday June 14th during the annual Flag Day Celebration starting at 2:45pm. Please come and enjoy this new outdoor classroom and community gathering space. 🇺🇸

05/13/2026

Save the Date: One of the America 250 events this year at the Flag Day Monument

05/12/2026

04/30/2026

New on View: Part of our newest installation, “Our Flag Was Still There,” this fragment of the American flag was recovered by paramedic Antonio Suarez while he worked to assist survivors and search for victims’ remains at the World Trade Center on September 11 and September 12.

Collection 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Gift of Antonio Suarez, Paramedic, St. Vincent's Hospital, Manhattan

04/30/2026

Last call for Flag Day Posters to be submitted by May 1st at 5pm. You can drop off your America 250 themed poster for the annual Flag Day Celebration at the Batavia Police Department. Look for the marked table in the lobby. Show your Sestercentennial Spirit!! 🇺🇸

04/30/2026

Last call for essays from Batavia area high schools. Email them in by May 1st at 5pm to [email protected]