Claiming that the Cross of St. George was idolatrous and papist, Governor John Endicott of the Massachusetts Bay Colony demanded to have it removed from the militia colors of the town of Salem. It is said that he cut the cross from a flag, leaving it with a blank white canton. As a result, Endicott was banned from holding public office for one year. The decision on the cross was left up to local officials, many of whom, particularly in the Boston area, shared Endicott’s opinion and suppressed the cross. The English Red Ensign was similarly modified and for fifty years the ensign of the colony, albeit unsanctioned by the English government, was red with a blank white canton. This was used until the arrival of Governor Andros in 1687.
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Hist. U.S.
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