U.S. 16 Star Boat Ensign, Johnson Brothers, ME.

16 Star US Boat Ensign, Johnson Brothers, Bath ME, 1850's
The 16 stars on this flag suggest that it is an abolitionist exclusionary flag. The Fugitive Slave Act, which passed as one of the elements of the Compromise of 1850, allowed slave catchers to roam the North in search of any individual who had escaped slavery.

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