Tartan of the American Scottish Foundation

Even more memorable than these, however, is the patterned fabric which has come to symbolize Scottish culture itself: Tartan is the only textile design in the world of which a tiny scrap can evoke such feelings of pride, such identification with the historical struggles of Scots, and identification with those desirable traits associated with being Scottish - honesty, industriousness and bravery in battle.*

Although tartan-style fabrics have a very long history – a good portion of it not Scottish – today these textiles are most famous as badges of identification. Specific colors and their arrangements function as a symbolic language in their own right, representing individuals, families and clans, as well as professional groups, companies, and organizations. To the huge international family of Scots and their descendants - estimated at 40 to 60 million around the globe - tartan represents everything that is admirable and wholesome about the land of their fathers.*

A vibrant design merging the Stars & Stripes with the Saltire, this tartan celebrates the close cultural and family ties between the two countries, fostered for over half a century by the American Scottish Foundation. In homage to the principle figures whose dedication has nurtured and grown the Foundation to its 21st century role, elements of their tartans form the secondary focus of the design - black on green from the MacKay tartan, green on red from the Scott tartan, and white on red from the Hamilton tartan.**

*http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan/

**https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=11223