Pennant, about 1940
NMAH Armed Forces History Collection

This pennant, a souvenir from Crookston, Minnesota, depicts the American flag with the slogan America First — The Flag We Love. During the interwar period, the flag was often displayed as a symbol of isolationist sentiment, of putting America “first” and keeping the United States out of foreign conflicts.

The America First Committee, an isolationist group that opposed U.S. intervention in World War II, was founded in 1940. It attracted a large following, especially in the Midwest, and its leaders included aviator Charles Lindbergh. But the isolationists would not succeed in keeping the nation out of war. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the America First Committee dissolved.