The Three Flags Ceremony in History

America acquired the Louisiana Purchase by treaty on April 30, 1803, but news traveled slowly in those days. Rumors swept the territory, but confirmation of the momentous purchase did not arrive until the following fall. The purchase was solemnized in a series of ceremonies, culminating in the final transfer of power in St. Louis on March 9, 1804. The ceremony included representatives of the Spanish, French, and American governments; France had acquired the territory from Spain so recently that the Spanish colonial officers had not yet been relieved of their duties. The changing of the flags flying over the colonial headquarters provided the clearest and most dramatic symbolism for the historic moment. The Spanish flag was lowered, accompanied by cannon salvos, and the French flag was raised. At the request of St. Louis' predominantly French residents, the French flag flew until the following morning, when the American flag was raised. St. Louis, living up to its reputation for lavish and gracious entertaining, feted the new government with a dinner and ball at the Governor's Mansion. St. Louis thus began a tradition of commemorating with great style its role in the Louisiana Purchase-a tradition we wish to continue with a Three Flags Ceremony in March 2004.

The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, a World's Fair, is perhaps the best known event recognizing St. Louis' importance in American history. Opening on April 30, 1904, the fair drew twenty million visitors from around the world. In the century since the Louisiana Purchase, St. Louis had grown from a settlement of just over 8,000 residents to a bustling industrial center with a population of nearly 600,000 and the city was eager to show the world the fruits of the Louisiana Purchase. Lasting legacies of the Exposition are Forest Park and, within the park, the St. Louis Museum of Art, which is one of three structures remaining from the Exposition. In 1906, an equestrian statue of St. Louis was dedicated in front of the museum. In 1913, the Jefferson Memorial, a new home in Forest Park for the Missouri Historical Society, was dedicated. Historian Merrill Peterson notes the speaker that day, William M. Thornton, commented that the Louisiana Purchase, one of Jefferson's greatest accomplishments, "marked the true beginning of the national phase of our history."

On March 9, 1935, city dignitaries conducted a re-enactment of the "Three Flags Day" to publicize their vision for another Thomas Jefferson Memorial. This new project, to be constructed on the city's historic waterfront, eventually was to become the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. This national park now contains a Museum of Westward Expansion and the famed St. Louis Gateway Arch, symbolizing the city's role as a gateway to the west for settlers pursuing Jefferson's dream of a nation spanning the continent.

The Three Flags Ceremony planned for 2004 will continue St. Louis' rich tradition of commemorating its history. The ceremony will take place on the waterfront under the Gateway Arch, bringing together the heads of state and other representatives of the three nations involved in the original Louisiana Purchase. The centerpiece of the event will be the recreation of the original ceremony transferring power over the territory to the United States, symbolized in the lowering of the flags of Spain and France and the raising of the American flag. Conducting the ceremony will be the King of Spain, the President of France, and the President of the United States. These dignitaries, along with the governors of the fourteen Louisiana Purchase states, will be invited to participate under the auspices of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Additional elements of the event will feature performances by military and marching bands, including the Garde Republicaine, the premier French military band which also performed at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. The Three Flags Ceremony will be both the culmination of commemorative events and programs dedicated to the Louisiana Purchase and a symbolic initiation for a variety of continuing events surrounding the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.