why did they say "hoist the colours" when most of the older flags are b&w?

Question

and is that historically correct?

in response to the first 2 answers... i meant for Pirate flags!

and in response to the third answer. im not as dense as to think that B&W pictures mean B&W flags.

Answer 1

I have not seen many black and white flags myself.

From Wikipedia...

colours, standards and guidons

Origins

The practice of carrying standards, to act both as a rallying point for troops, and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Egypt some 5,000 years ago. It was formalised in the armies of medieval Europe, with standards being emblazoned with the commander's coat of arms.

As armies became trained and adopted set formations, each regiment's ability to keep its formation was potentially critical to its, and therefore its army's, success. In the chaos of battle, not least due to the amount of dust and smoke on a battlefield, soldiers needed to be able to determine where their regiment was.

In the British Army the medieval standards developed into the Colours of the Infantry, the Standards of the Heavy Cavalry, and the Guidons of the Light Cavalry.

As time passed, Regiments were awarded battle honours, which they emblazoned on their Colours, Standards and Guidons. They therefore became a link to the Regiment's past and a memorial to the fallen, and thus took on a more mystical significance than as mere identifying markers on the battlefield: they became the heart of the regiment, in which all of its history was woven. Such became the significance in this context that, for a regiment to lose its colours was (and still is) a major disgrace, with the capture of an enemy's colours (or equivalent) being seen as a great honour. This is why that, whenever the colours are paraded, they are always escorted by armed guards and paid the highest compliments by all soldiers and officers, second only to the sovereign herself.

Due to the advent of modern weapons, and subsequent changes in tactics, Colors are no longer carried into battle; instead, they are carried in parades and reviews, and displayed in formations and ceremonies in remembrance of their former presence on the battlefield.[1]

Answer 2

The other name for a flag is "The Colors". In a sea battle ships could use any flag that they like in the approach to the battle, sailing under false colors, but you were forbidden from firing your guns while you were under the false flag as that was illegal ,you'd hang for it so before your ship could fire the captain would say "Hoist the Colors" At which point the false flag was send down and your colors were raised.... SURPRISE!!! All counties did it until The late 19th century when ship battles were fought from so far away as to make it impossible.

The idea of false colors is still used today See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_colors for more information.

Answer 3

Not all Pirate Flags were Black and White. That's a myth. When they did bother to fly colors, they would fly personal standards-designed to frighten the target ship into surrendering. Ideally, pirates wanted a ship that didn't put up a fight-maximum return on minimal investment. In "Pirates of the Caribbean III", the scene of the crews raising "colors" shows some of the actual standards used by pirates in the early 17th century.
The term "colors" in nautical-speak refers to national flags flown by all ships. Flying "false colors", in other words another nation's flag, was a standard deception practice by navies and pirates throughout the 16th-17th centuries.

Answer 4

The word "colours" referred to any flag. And yes, they did have colorful flags back then. For examples, see the British flag and the pirate Blackbeard's flag.

Answer 5

Ride on melman. However on the next foot I penalize my student for even mentioning Wikipedia, luckily the answer is reasonable close. I have seen few black and white flags except on TV, the pirate flags were varied and colorful (usually whatever they could find). Hey, look at Captain Jacks flags when they attack the British fleet. We know how accurate Disney is with their movies E.X. Pocahontas in the mountains in Chesapeake Va with John Smith. Excuse I am old February 6, 1832 in Upson City, Georgia and I digress. Anyway melman and I are right but he was first.

God Bless You and the Southern People.

Answer 6

Which older flags are black and white?

The PHOTOGRAPHS of older flags are black and white, but flags themselves are almost always very colorful, even hundreds or thousands of years ago.

Answer 7

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK OLD FLAGS WERE B&W