The American peace flag is a symbol that represents peace, diplomacy, and an end to war. It features a white dove carrying an olive branch on a purple background. The dove and olive branch are universal symbols of peace that date back thousands of years. Though the origins of the specific design are disputed, the peace flag as we know it today emerged during the anti-war movement of the 1960s. Since then, it has been used in various causes promoting peace and protesting war, violence, and aggression.
History and Origins
The exact origins of the modern American peace flag design are uncertain. Some accounts credit American graphic designer May Segal with creating the dove and olive branch motif. Segal reportedly designed banners with the peace dove for use in the antinuclear protests of the 1950s and 1960s. Around the same time in 1958, British philosopher and social critic Bertrand Russell and his supporters marched from London to the nuclear weapons research facility in Aldermaston, England carrying flags with the peace sign. This helped spread the symbol’s popularity.
Another likely influence is Picasso’s 1949 lithograph, La Colombe. This artwork portrays a white dove in flight holding an olive branch in its beak. The purple background and basic layout are strikingly similar to the peace flag. Building on that imagery, peace activists in the 1950s-60s started creating their own flags to use in protests. With the dove being a readily recognized symbol of peace, it naturally became incorporated into these banner designs.
Meaning and Symbolism
The white dove and olive branch on the peace flag represent peace in very literal terms. The dove is a long standing Christian symbol of peace, purity, and the Holy Spirit. In the Biblical story of Noah’s ark, a dove returns to Noah with an olive branch to show that the flood waters have receded. The olive branch thus signifies that peace has been restored after a period of difficulty or destruction. Later, in the New Testament, a dove appears during the baptism of Jesus Christ to represent the presence of the Holy Spirit.
In ancient Greek culture as well, the olive branch represented peace. The Greek goddess Athena planted the first olive tree to provide wood, oil, and food to humans. Olive trees took many years to bear fruit, so only civilized, patient, peaceful societies could enjoy their benefits. Displaying an olive branch meant the holder rejected war and embraced peace. Together then, the dove and olive branch stand for peace, serenity, renewal, and the rejection of violence.
The purple background has meaning too. Purple is traditionally the color of royalty, spirituality, and high status. Use of purple in the peace flag helps give greater weight, gravity, and authority to its message. It elevates the dove and olive branch as royal symbols for a noble cause.
Usage in the Anti-War Movement
The peace flag grew in popularity during the protests against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s. As a simple, graphic symbol, it worked well on banners, signs, posters, clothing, and more. Anti-war protesters embraced it as an easily recognized emblem of their values. Some credit the peace flag’s early growth to distressed mothers who sewed and sold them to support the anti-war efforts.
Peace advocate Carole Fields recalls first seeing the flag at a vigil for the Kent State shooting victims in 1970. Activist Veronica Vitale began mass producing flags with the dove and olive branch design under the name Human Condition. These proved popular within the movement. As images of protests featuring the flag circulated on television and in newspapers, its profile grew.
By 1971, the peace flag had become a common sight at rallies and marches. It could be seen flying from homes, carried by marchers, and printed on t-shirts. It gave the anti-war movement a single unifying symbol that clearly broadcast their message. The simple, bold design helped it stand out on television and in photographs spreading awareness of the peace movement.
Use Outside of Protest Movements
While the peace flag debuted at anti-war gatherings, its adoption has spread far beyond that initial context. Today it is recognized around the world as a generic symbol for peace, goodwill, and pacifism. It often appears in popular culture like music, television, movies, and more as shorthand for peace.
Some specific examples of the peace flag appearing outside of protest movements include:
– In music, rock band Jefferson Airplane used it on the cover art for their 1969 album Volunteers. Folk singer Tom Paxton posed with it on his 1977 album The Paxton Report.
– On television, it appeared in The Simpsons during a Vietnam war protest scene. Dr. Oz displayed it in his hand on The Dr. Oz Show while meditating.
– In film, it showed up prominently in Forrest Gump to represent the anti-war movement. It has also appeared in Hair, The Deer Hunter, Watchmen, and other movies.
– Sports franchises like the Dayton Dragons baseball team have used it as a sleeve patch logo.
– It remains an ongoing symbol for various peace movements, nuclear disarmament, anti-gun violence, and civil rights causes.
– It is also popular on greeting cards, apparel, buttons, posters, and other merchandise promoting peace.
So while the peace flag has its roots in 1960s activism, it has established itself as a broad symbol of peace that stands alone outside any one movement or group. Its instant recognizability and positive message contribute to its ongoing popularity.
Alternative Versions
The basic dove and olive branch peace flag comes in a range of color variations. The original purple background is still the most common, but it is also seen with backgrounds of red, blue, black, green, rainbow, and more. The red variant sometimes substitutes a red heart for the olive branch.
There are also versions featuring slogans like “peace” or “no nukes” added below the dove. Other designs incorporate additional symbols like a peace sign or yin-yang alongside the dove and branch. Adaptations may change the shape to a peace sign, heart, or circle rather than a standard rectangle flag.
While the classic purple-backed flag remains dominant, the alternatives allow groups to put their own spin on the design for their specific purpose. The rainbow peace flag is popular within the LGBTQ+ rights movement. A black peace flag communicates a more somber, mournful tone. The different colors and motifs allow customization of the symbol for a particular situation while retaining the dove’s instantly recognizable meaning.
Confusion With the Victory Flag
The peace flag’s dove and olive branch design is sometimes confused with a similar but entirely unrelated symbol – the victory flag. The victory flag features a golden-yellow peace symbol on a red background.
This distinct flag was conceived by political activist Robert Heinman in 1961 as a symbol of the nuclear disarmament movement. It draws its color scheme from the red flag of socialism and the semaphoric symbols for the letters “N” and “D” representing nuclear disarmament. Its creation was unrelated to the peace flag.
Due to the similar colors and peace-related symbolism, the two flags are frequently confused. However, the dove and olive branch motif and purple background are the only elements that constitute the true American peace flag. The golden peace sign and red field designate the separate victory flag. They are overlapping but distinct symbols for peace derived from different origins.
Copyright Status
The iconic dove and olive branch peace flag is widely produced, sold, and used by countless individuals and organizations. However, it does not appear to be officially trademarked or restricted by any specific copyright.
While May Segal is sometimes credited as the original creator, the dove itself is a centuries-old symbol that cannot be copyrighted. The general layout and color scheme seems to have emerged informally from grassroots anti-war activists in the 1950s-60s without any trademark filings. The overall look is simple and generic enough that enforcing exclusive copyright would be difficult.
This public domain status has allowed the design to proliferate widely without significant legal obstacles. It has become a ubiquitous symbol anyone can print or display to express support for peace without infringing trademarks or copyrights. There is no single entity that owns exclusive rights to produce or control use of the basic flag and its image. This has helped cement its status as a public graphic symbol representing a concept rather than any specific group.
Signifying Peace More Broadly
Today the peace flag stands as an instantly recognizable emblem representing peace, nonviolence, diplomacy, and hope. Its incorporation into popular music, television, film, and merchandise has reinforced its meaning in the mainstream culture. When people see the dove and olive branch, they immediately grasp the symbolism of peace behind it.
At the same time, the lack of restrictive copyright has liberated it from association with any single movement or organization. This allows the peace flag to function as a universal signal of peace independent of partisan divisions. Anyone can fly it, print it, or display it to express the simple human longing for a peaceful world without endorsing a precise ideology. The flag’s accessibility and lack of entanglement with a specific group empower it to symbolize peace in the broadest unifying sense.
Conclusion
The American peace flag emerged from grassroots activism in the 1960s but grew to represent a universal longing for peace. Its dove and olive branch imagery speaks to thousands of years of symbolic meaning. In its color variations, it adapts this meaning to groups across the political spectrum. Unencumbered by copyright, it belongs to everyone and no one. This freedom has enabled the peace flag to serve as a simple, straightforward, and immediately recognized graphic emblem for the fundamental human aspiration for a nonviolent world.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1949 | Pablo Picasso creates La Colombe featuring a dove holding an olive branch |
| 1950s-60s | Peace flag using dove and olive branch appears at antiwar protests |
| 1958 | Peace supporters march from London to Aldermaston bearing peace flag |
| 1969 | Peace flag featured on Jefferson Airplane’s Volunteers album |
| 1970 | Peace flag seen at Kent State vigil and produced en masse by Human Condition |
| 1971 | Peace flag ubiquitous symbol at anti-war rallies and marches |
| 1977 | Tom Paxton poses with peace flag on The Paxton Report album |
| Modern | Peace flag continues as universal symbol of peace and nonviolence |
