Spoke - with respect, let’s quote the whole paragraph.
Not Exapno’s best treatment ever, but it was really an introductory paragraph, presented before his main point. Speaking generally though, I would expect the form of patriotic displays to evolve over a couple of hundred years. The opposite case would be more extraordinary in my view.
That said, Spoke’s links to objects festooned with flag imagery were interesting and helpful, if not exactly decisive IMHO.
I would think the sleds alone would be proof that patriotic displays were not limited to the 4th of July. Unless the 4th of July was a whole lot colder then than now.
Except I’m not sure whether to view those examples as instances of patriotism or mere decoration. And by “I’m not sure,” I mean “I really don’t know.”
I googled and landed upon the Puritan Origins of American Patriotism (2007). The author argues that patriotism evolved over time and that groups most apt to be prone to ostentatious patriotism shifted from WASPs in the 1800s, who exhibited some anti-Catholic, nativist and anti-Southern sentiments, to some of those former outsiders today. Interesting if true. Cite: http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300100990
I don’t buy that at all. As I mentioned above, the War of 1812 ushered in a period of enthusiastic patriotism, and I suspect that was especially so in the South, where the signal victory for the Americans was won, and won by Southerners. (New Orleans.) Even prior to that battle, Andrew Jackson as an individual was known to be fiercely patriotic, not to say jingoistic.
Also, I just can’t help noticing that a lot of books flattering to New Englanders get published in New England.
I understand you have to go after low hanging fruit in this kind of situation in order to appease established contributors, but come on… Asked and answered a day ago on my behalf. Throw me a bone.