90,000 Michigan soldiers fought in the American Civil War - 15,000 of them making the ultimate sacrifice. The flags they carried became a symbol of their fight to preserve the Union and end the institution of slavery in America.
Built in the 1870s, the Michigan Capitol was designed to provide a safe home for these flags, and would later become the home of flags carried in the Spanish-American War and World War I.
In 1990, a non-profit program called Save the Flags was established to support the preservation of the flags, research the flags and the soldiers who carried them, and share this incredible collection with the public.
Today, Capitol staff administer to the flag collection. The flags are securely housed in climate-controlled archival storage at the Michigan History Museum. Within the Capitol’s new visitor center, Heritage Hall, trained conservationists care for the flags in a dedicated conservation lab in an attempt to preserve the collection for another 160 years.
