Adopted in 1921. Iowa was transferred to the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The area had an unorganized territorial history; at various times being part of the Missouri Territory, the Michigan Territory and the Wisconsin Territory. It was admitted to the Union as the 29th state in December 1846. The first official state flag was designed in 1917 by the state's Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR). The General Assembly officially adopted the design in 1921. The flag consists of three equal vertical stripes of blue, white and red, being derived from the tri-color flag of France. The white center stripe holds an image of an eagle carrying in its beak, blue streamers inscribed with the state motto: "Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain." The word IOWA is in red below the streamers. (ref; iowa.gov, Publications, State Symbols of Iowa)