Six flags over Texas

Six flags over Texas is a phrase describing the six nations whose flags have flown in sovereignty over some or all of the territory of the U.S. state of Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.^{1 • 2} The phrase is also the origin of the name of Six Flags Over Texas, the Arlington amusement park that opened in 1961 and grew into the Six Flags chain of theme parks.³

The six nations

The slogan refers to the six governments that have exercised sovereignty over some or all of present-day Texas.² Spain claimed the territory beginning in 1519 and held it, with an interruption during the French interlude, until Mexican independence in 1821. The French connection began in 1685, when René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle tried to found a colony for France along the Texas shoreline; after this effort failed, Fort St. Louis stood deserted by 1690.¹ Mexico governed Texas from 1821 to 1836, when Texas won independence and became the Republic of Texas. Texas joined the United States in 1845, left to join the Confederacy in 1861, and returned to the Union in 1865.^{1 • 5}

Which flags, exactly?

Over the years there has been debate about the specific flags to display for several of the six. The designs of the United States, Texas, and Mexico flags are well established, but the Spanish, French, and Confederate choices have varied.¹

Spain and France. For the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, organizers used a Spanish flag based on the banner said to have been carried by Cortez during the conquest of Mexico, a four-square design incorporating the emblems of Castile and Leon. This flag still appears in some displays, but the Spanish flag in use after 1785, a red and yellow striped flag with the lion and castle on a crowned shield, is now more commonly seen.¹ For France, no single official flag existed in the 1680s, and it is not clear which design La Salle's expedition carried. The white banner sprinkled with gold fleur-de-lis was adopted at the Centennial Exposition as the most likely design and is the pattern most commonly seen today.¹

The Confederate flag. The Confederacy had three national flags between 1861 and 1865, plus naval ensigns and battle flags. The first national flag, the Stars and Bars, adopted March 4, 1861, is the one most commonly used in Six Flags displays today.¹ Its resemblance to the United States flag created confusion on the battlefield, and the better-known battle flag, originally used by the Army of Northern Virginia, was substituted in the field. That battle flag was sometimes used in Six Flags displays because of its wide recognition, but after the 1936 Centennial Exposition opted for the Stars and Bars, the use of the battle flag as one of the Six Flags declined.¹

Standardization. In response to this inconsistency, the Texas Historical Commission set official standard designs in 1996 for the six flags, consisting of the Spanish flag of March 8, 1793, the French flag from around 1643, the Mexican flag of April 1823, the Confederate Stars and Bars adopted March 4, 1861, and the present-day U.S. and Texas flags.¹

The park that took the name

The amusement park was the project of Angus G. Wynne, Jr., a graduate of UT Arlington and a Navy veteran of World War II who had built a real estate business. After purchasing several thousand acres in the Arlington/Grand Prairie area, he developed the Great Southwest Industrial District, which struggled financially in its early years. He initially proposed a sporting complex to draw visitors, but a family visit to Disneyland in Anaheim inspired him to build a theme park with a Texas theme instead.³

Construction began in August 1960 on a 105-acre tract, with an initial investment of $10 million and local skepticism about the park's chances. The grand opening on August 5, 1961 reportedly drew 8,374 visitors, and the owners earmarked another half million dollars for new attractions by year's end.³ A contemporary Time report noted that the name had originally been conceived as Texas Under Six Flags, with the park divided into six sections, Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, and the U.S., each representing a period of Texas history.⁶

The park expanded steadily. By 1972 it had over ninety rides and attractions, a 300-foot oil derrick, and an annual visitation of two million. Replicas of historic places on the grounds depict Texas history, and the Texas Historical Commission placed historical markers at a replica of Fort St. Louis, a "Boom Town" with 1920s oil rigging, an antique hand-carved carousel, and the park's railroad demonstration. The 205-acre park now offers more than 100 rides and shows.³

Growth of the chain. The park's success seeded a company. As of 2019, Six Flags was the largest regional theme park company in the world, operating twenty-seven theme and water parks in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, reporting thirty-three million annual visitors and $1.5 billion in revenue, with a combined 925 rides, 145 roller coasters, and 52,000 employees.³

The flag display today

In August 2017, following criticism that the Confederate flag served as a reminder of the Confederacy, the Arlington park announced it would fly only American flags. Spokeswoman Sharon Parker said the park had "changed the flag displays in our park to feature American flags." The Confederate flag the park had flown was the Stars and Bars national flag, not the more controversial Confederate battle flag with the blue saltire on a red field.⁴ The phrase itself remains in wide official use: the six flags appear on the facade of the Texas State Capitol and in state historical materials.⁷

References

1. Six Flags of Texas, Texas State Library and Archives Commission
2. Introduction: Six Flags over Texas, Texas Government (Lumen/Social Sci LibreTexts)
3. Claude Cox, revised by Rebecca Wallisch, "Six Flags Over Texas," Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association
4. Six Flags Will Only Fly American Flag From Now On, TIME (August 19, 2017)
5. Texas Secession Is Not a New Idea, TIME
6. Spectacles: Under Nothin', TIME (1961)
7. The grand old flags of Texas, San Antonio Express-News

Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026

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