There were seven flags over Texas. The green flag—it is the first flag of Texas independence. It is the spark that lit the revolt for liberty in our state. It started as a gentle glow of a peasant’s lantern. Then, it expanded to a beacon’s potent light; beckoning Don Bernardo led his army in answering the call for freedom. It was not a flag of conquest, but a flag of self-rule. It was not a flag to build an empire, but to end an unjust one. It was a precious flag, wrapping those who carried it with the ideals of equality. It was the first breath of a new life, the first step of a long journey, the sign of a new beginning. It is the green flag, the first flag of Texas independence.