Flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande facts for kids
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| Adopted | 1840 |
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| Design | A horizontal bicolor with white on top and black on the bottom. The left-most third is a red strip with three white stars arranged in a vertical line |
The flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande was a special banner used for a short time in 1840. This flag represented a new country that wanted to be independent from Mexico. It was used for about 283 days, from January 17 to November 6, 1840.
The Republic of the Rio Grande was formed by three Mexican states: Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. The flag stopped being used when Mexican troops defeated the Republic of the Rio Grande.
What the Flag Looks Like
The flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande has a red stripe on the left side. This part is called the hoist. On this red stripe, there are three white stars placed one above the other.
These three stars stand for the three states that broke away to form the republic: Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. The rest of the flag, called the fly, is split into two horizontal halves. The top half is white, and the bottom half is black.
Why the Flag Was Created
The flag was designed to look similar to the Flag of Texas. This was because the Republic of the Rio Grande was fighting for the same ideas as the Republic of Texas. Both wanted to be independent and govern themselves.
The Flag Today in Laredo
Today, the city of Laredo, Texas, uses this historic flag as its own city flag. Laredo was once the capital city of the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande.
The city also includes this flag, along with the six other flags that have flown over Texas, on its city coat of arms. Because of its history, Laredo is known as "The City Under Seven Flags."
