Editing Bedford, Massachusetts (section)

===Bedford Flag===

{{Blockquote|By the rude bridge that arched the flood, their flag to April's breeze unfurled - here once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard 'round the world.|[[Ralph Waldo Emerson]]}}

The [[Bedford Flag|Bedford flag]] on display at the Bedford Free Public Library is the oldest known surviving intact battle flag in the United States. It is celebrated for having been the first U.S. flag flown during the [[American Revolutionary War]], as it is believed to have been carried by [[Nathaniel Page (minuteman)|Nathaniel Page]]'s outfit of [[Minutemen]] to the [[Old North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts|Old North Bridge]] in [[Concord, Massachusetts|Concord]] for the [[Battle of Concord]] on April 19, 1775.

Though the flag previously had a border of silver tassels, the tassels were cut from it to adorn the dress of Page's daughter.

The [[Latin]] motto on the flag, "Vince Aut Morire", means "Conquer or Die."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://flagspot.net/flags/us-mabed.html | title=Bedford, Massachusetts (U.S.) |website=Flags of the World | date=February 5, 2006| first=Rick | last=Wyatt | access-date=April 24, 2009 |url-status = live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706205742/http://flagspot.net/flags/us-mabed.html | archive-date=July 6, 2009 }}</ref>