The Tricolor Flag Comes From Cockades Worn By The Revolutionaries

Another interesting fact about the French Revolution is cockades worn by the revolutionaires is the origin of the tricolor flag. The Bastille, a symbol of royal tyranny, was stormed by a throng of Parisians on July 14, 1789. The monarch had to capitulate once more; when he visited Paris, he wore the tricolor cockade to signify his acknowledgement of the people's authority. The Paris militia donned a cockade of blue and red during the storming of the Bastille. The traditional colors of France were blue and red, with blue being associated with Saint Martin and red with Saint Denis. White was the "old French color," and the original tricolor cockade was created by pinning the blue-and-red cockade of Paris onto the white cockade. The National Guard, which followed the militia, adopted this cockade as part of their uniform.

These tricolor cockades inspired the colors and design of the French Tricolor Flag. The history of the country's aristocratic and revolutionary history is firmly ingrained in the symbolism of the flag's colors. In pre-revolutionary France, the flag had a white background with a blue shield and a gold Fleur-de-lys representing the royal coat of arms. Following the French Revolution, however, the country's authorities desired a simpler design that reflected the nation's new beliefs, and the French Tricolor was selected. The French Tricolor Flag became one of the most influential flags in history, with many other countries in Europe and the rest of the globe copying its three-color style.