Statehood: 1819, the 22nd state

Year Flag Adopted: 1895

The Alabama State Flag was authorized by the Alabama Legislature on February 16, 1895, by Act number 383. According to the Acts of Alabama, 1895, the state flag was to be a crimson cross of St. Andrew on a field of white. The bars forming the cross were not to be less than six inches broad and were to extend diagonally across the flag from side to side. The act did not designate a square or a rectangular flag. A 1987 opinion by the Office of Attorney General of Alabama established the flag shape as rectangular. (ref. Alabama State Archives) January 2014.

Statehood 1959, the 50th state

Year Flag Adopted: 1927 (statehood in 1959)

Alaska became a possession of the United States in 1867, a Territory in 1912, and the 50th U.S. State in 1959. Alaska was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army (1867 -1877), the Treasury Dept. (1877-1879) and the Navy (1879-1884). A civil government operated starting in 1884, the designation becoming the "District of Alaska", prior to Territory status achieved in 1912.

The design of the official flag is eight gold stars in a field of blue. The blue typifies the evening sky, the blue of the sea and mountain lakes, the gold being the wealth that lies hidden in Alaska's hills and streams. The eight stars, seven of which form the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, the most conspicuous constellation in the northern sky, contains the stars which form the "Dipper," including the "Pointers" which point toward the eighth star in the flag, Polaris, the North Star. For Alaska, the northernmost star in the galaxy of stars represents Alaska, the forty-ninth star in the national emblem.

The flag of the Territory of Alaska is the official flag of the state. The standard proportions and size graphically delineated herein shall be used in the manufacture of the official flag of Alaska. The stars shall be the color of natural yellow-gold, and the field of blue shall be of the same shade of blue used in the official manufacture of the national emblem of the United States. (ref. Alaska State Legislature, title 44) January 2014.

Year Adopted: 1917

Arizona became a U.S. Territory in 1863 and was admitted as a U.S. State in 1912.

Arizona's state flag is divided into two halves. The top half consists of thirteen alternating red and yellow rays which represent America's thirteen original colonies. Because Arizona is a western state, the rays show a setting sun. The colors of the rays refer to red and yellow in the Spanish flags carried by Coronado when he came to Arizona in the sixteenth century. The bottom half of the flag is a solid blue field, the same color as the blue in the United States flag. A large copper colored star is superimposed in the center of the flag. This identifies Arizona as the largest producer of copper in the United States.

In 1910, Col Charles W. Harris designed a flag for the Arizona Rifle Team when they attended the National Matches at Camp Perry. Arizona was the only team in past matches without a flag. The Harris flag was adopted in 1917 by Arizona's Third Legislature and was passed into law without Governor Thomas Campbell's signature. "Governor Campbell did not officially state his reasons for taking no action on the bill, but it is generally supposed that the flag did not measure up to his ideals of what a state emblem should be." (Arizona State Library archives) January 2014

The Arkansas Territory was admitted as a state in 1836, the 25th State. Part of the United States beginning with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

Year Flag Adopted: 1913

Flag Colors: The area outside of the diamond is red, diamond outline border is blue, the 25 stars in diamond border are white, the four stars in the center are blue , the word Arkansas is blue, the inside of the diamond is white.

The state flag, designed by Miss Willie K. Hocker of Wabbaseka, Arkansas, was adopted in 1913. The 25 stars indicate that Arkansas was the 25th state admitted to the United States. The three large stars in the center stand for the three nations that have ruled Arkansas: Spain, France and the United States. Also, Arkansas was the third state formed from the Louisiana Purchase. The large star above ARKANSAS symbolizes the Confederacy which Arkansas was a part of from 1861 - 1865, and the diamond formed by the 25 stars represent Arkansas as the only diamond producing state in the Union. (ref. Arkansas Secretary of State, State Symbols) January 2014

Year Adopted: 1911 (origins from 1846)

The Bear Flag is the State Flag of California. As viewed with the hoist end of the flag to the left of the observer there appears in the upper left-hand corner of a white field a five-pointed red star with one point vertically upward and in the middle of the white field a brown grizzly bear walking toward the left with all four paws on a green grass plot, with head and eye turned slightly toward the observer; a red stripe forms the length of the flag at the bottom, and between the grass plot and the red stripe appear the words “CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC”. (ref CAL code 420)

On June 14, 1846, a small band of settlers marched on the Mexican garrison at Sonoma and took the commandant, Mariano Vallejo, prisoner. They issued a proclamation which declared California to be a Republic independent of Mexico. The uprising became known as the Bear Flag Revolt after the hastily designed flag depicting a grizzly bear and a five pointed star over a red bar and the words "California Republic." The grizzly bear was a symbol of strength, while the lone star referred to the Lone Star of Texas. The flag flew only until July 9, 1846, when it was learned that Mexico and the United States were already at war. Soon after, the Bear Flag was replaced with the 28 star American flag. An updated version of the 1846 Bear Flag was adopted as the State Flag by the State Legislature in 1911. (ref. California State Library) January 2014.

From 1847 to 1850, California had U.S. Military governors. It bypassed status as a Territory with a territorial government due to Congressional issues with the number of free states vs. slave states and was admitted as a State in September of 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850.

Year Adopted: 1911

Flag Colors: Blue, white, red, yellow

The territory known as Colorado came under US jurisdiction beginning in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase, and followed with the Texas Annexation of 1845, and the Mexican Cession of 1848. It was organized as a territory in 1861 out of portions of the Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Utah territories. Colorado was admitted to the Union as a State in 1876.

The flag was originally designed by Andrew Carlisle Johnson. Precise colors of red and blue were not designated in the 1911 legislation and some controversy arose over these colors. On February 28, 1929, the General Assembly stipulated the precise colors of red and blue, the same as the national flag. Controversy also arose over the size of the letter C and on March 31, 1964, the General Assembly further modified the 1911 legislation by revising the distance from the staff for the letter C and its diameter.

The state flag was adopted on June 5, 1911, by an act of the General Assembly. The flag consists of three alternate stripes of equal width and at right angles to the staff, the two outer stripes to be blue of the same color as in the blue field of the national flag and the middle stripe to be white, the proportion of the flag being a width of two thirds of its length. At a distance from the staff end of the flag of one fifth of the total length of the flag there is a circular red C, of the same color as the red in the national flag of the United States. The diameter of the letter is two thirds of the width of the flag. The inner line of the opening of the letter C is three fourths of the width of its body or bar, and the outer line of the opening is double the length of the inner line thereof. Completely filling the open space inside the letter C is a golden disk. Citations: Senate Bill 118, 1911; Senate Bill 152, 1929; Senate Bill, 1964. (ref. Colorado State Archives) January 2014

Statehood 1788; one of the original 13 colonies, 5th to become a state.

Year Flag Adopted: 1897

Inspired by a memorial from the Anna Warner Bailey Chapter of the daughters of the American Revolution, Governor O. Vincent Coffin, on May 29, 1895, introduced to the General Assembly the first proposal for the adoption of a State Flag. On that same day the Assembly passed a resolution appointing a special committee to prepare a designation of the flag already generally accepted as the official flag of the state.

The General Assembly of 1897 provided an official description of the flag of azure blue silk, with the armorial bearings in argent white silk with the design in natural colors and border of the shield embroidered in gold and silver. (ref. ct.gov – The State Flag)

The official description of the Arms calls for: A shield of rococo design of white field, having in the center three grape vines, supported and bearing fruit. Below the shield shall be a white streamer, cleft at each end, bordered with two fine lines, and upon the streamer shall be in solid letters of medium bold Gothic the motto: "QUI TRANSTULIT SUSTINET" (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains). (ref; ct.gov, The Armorial Bearings)

Known as the first state, Dec. 1787

Year Flag Adopted: 1913

Flag Colors: Colonial blue, buff

Adopted on July 24, 1913, the state flag has a background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff color in which the coat of arms of the state of Delaware is placed. Below the diamond are the words "December 7, 1787", indicating the day on which Delaware was the first state to ratify the federal Constitution. Because of this action, Delaware became the first state in the Union, and is, therefore, accorded the first position in such national events as presidential inaugurations. According to members of the original commission established to design the flag, the shades of buff and colonial blue represent those of the uniform of General George Washington as shown on a specific plate from an official U.S. Army publication. (ref delaware.gov, facts and symbols) January 2014

Elements of The Coat of Arms: The Wheat Sheaf was adapted from the Sussex County seal and signifies the agricultural vitality of Delaware. The Ship is a symbol of New Castle County's ship building industry and Delaware's extensive coastal commerce. Corn is taken from the Kent County seal and symbolizes the agricultural basis of Delaware's economy. The Farmer with the hoe represents the central role of farming to the state. The Militiaman with his musket recognizes the crucial role of the citizen-soldier to the maintenance of American liberties. The Ox represents the importance of animal husbandry to the state economy. The Water (above the Ox) stands for the Delaware River, the main stay of the state's commerce and transportation. The Motto “Liberty and Independence” was derived from the Order of Cincinnati and approved in 1847. (ref: delaware.gov)

Year Adopted: 1900

Florida had Territory status from 1822 to 1845 when it was admitted to the Union as the 27th State.

The current design of Florida's state flag was adopted in 1900. In that year, Florida voters ratified a constitutional amendment based on an 1899 joint resolution of the state legislature to add diagonal red bars, in the form of a St. Andrew's cross, to the flag. Between 1868 and 1900, Florida's state flag consisted of a white field with the state seal in the center. During the late 1890s, Governor Francis P. Fleming suggested that a red cross be added, so that the banner did not appear to be a white flag of truce or surrender when hanging still on a flagpole.

In the rewriting of the Constitution in 1968, the flag is described in these words: "The seal of the state, of diameter one half the hoist, in the center of a white ground. Red bars in width one fifth the hoist extending from each corner toward the center, to the outer rim of the seal." (ref. Florida Dept of State, Florida Heritage, State Symbols) January 2014. The State Seal was revised in 1985. The revised Seal has a Seminole Indian woman rather than a Western Plains Indian, the steamboat is more accurate, and the cocoa palm has been changed to a sabal palm as the Florida Legislature prescribed in 1970. (ref; flheritage.com)

Founded in 1732, one of the original 13 colonies. It was the 4th state to ratify the Constitution in 1778.

Year Flag Adopted: 2001 (current version)

The current Georgia State flag is comprised of thee equal horizontal bands of red, white and red, with a blue canton on the hoist above the lower red band. Within the blue canton is the state emblem and the motto "In God We Trust" beneath in yellow/gold, all surrounded by 13 five-pointed white stars, symbolizing Georgia's place as one of the thirteen original United States. Note: an early Georgia State flag was the Stars & Bars (1861), followed by several Flags of the Confederacy, the flag of 1879-1956 after the War Between the States, (with variations in both 1902 and 1920), and another version incorporating the Confederate Battle flag which flew from 1956-2001. The current version was approved by state-wide referendum in 2001.

The state flag emblem, derived from the coat of arms, contains the following inscriptions and elements, all in gold: above the three columns "Constitution", the state motto on left to right scrolls reading "Wisdom", "Justice" and "Moderation", a male figure with drawn sword in early American / colonial garb, all above the inscription "In God We Trust" and all encircled by 13 white stars.

Year Adopted: 1816, revised 1843

Flag colors: Red, white, blue

Hawaii’s flag was first designed in 1816 for King Kamehameha I, with the number of stripes increased to 8 in 1843. The horizontal stripes represent the 8 major Hawaiian Islands. The stripes are alternating colors of white, red, and blue starting with white at the top and ending with red at bottom.

The flag incorporates the British Union Jack on the upper hoist side, representing the time when Hawaii was under the protection of Great Britain. The British Union Jack flew unofficially over Hawaii from 1793 until 1816. Captain James Cook, a commander in the British Royal Navy, made possibly the first European visit to the Hawaiian Islands in January 1778. He named the island group the Sandwich Islands in honor of John Montague, the Earl of Sandwich, one of his exploration patrons. Captain Cook was eventually killed by islanders on his third visit to Hawaii 1779.

American business interests supported an overthrow of the Hawaiian government in 1893 proclaiming it the Hawaiian Republic in 1894 and adopted the existing flag. Hawaii became a U.S. territory August of 1898, and was admitted to the Union as the 50th state in 1959. The former national flag of the Hawaiian kingdom and republic was adopted unchanged, by both the territory and the state.

Year Adopted: 1907

The area that became Idaho was acquired with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It had status as The Territory of Idaho from 1863 until July 1890, when it was admitted as the 43rd U.S. State.

The Idaho flag contains the Great Seal of Idaho on a blue field, with a scroll underneath of gold block letters two inches high on a red band reading “State of Idaho”. The flag was adopted by the 1907 legislature. The state seal was designed in 1891 by Emma Edwards Green, daughter of John C. Edwards, a former Governor of Missouri (1844-48) and emigrant from Stockton, California. A former art student in New York entered a state design competition and won unanimously. The seal depicts a centered shield bearing symbolic images of the state, a woman on the left representing equality, liberty and justice, and at right, a miner, above the shield an elk's head. A scroll above reads the Latin phrase "Esto Perpetua" (Let it be perpetual"). The state seal was updated in 1957.

Year Adopted: 1915, 1969 revision. White flag with the state flag emblem in the center, the word "ILLINOIS" underneath. Illinois was admitted as the 21st U.S. State in 1819.

Illinois had an earlier official state flag. The first was adopted on July 6, 1915, after a design contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. A bill to amend the original flag act of 1915 was passed by the General Assembly and became effective July 1970. It modified the design, specified colors to be used, and added the word "Illinois" underneath the seal.

On a white field the flag displays elements from the state seal; a rock on a stretch of land with water and the rising sun behind it, and a shield bearing the national stars and stripes in the claws of a bald eagle. A ribbon in the beak of the eagle bears the state motto “State sovereignty—national union”. The dates 1818 (for statehood) and 1868 (for the first use of the state seal) are shown on the rock beneath the eagle.

Year Adopted: 1916

The Indiana Territory was established in 1800 from part of the Northwest Territory and admitted to the Union as the 19th state in 1916. The design of the State Flag was adopted by the State General Assembly and was the result of a design competition sponsored by the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution during the state's 1916 Centennial celebration.

Description: The field of the flag shall be blue with nineteen (19) stars and a flaming torch in gold or buff. Thirteen (13) stars shall be arranged in an outer circle, representing the original thirteen (13) states; five (5) stars shall be arranged in a half circle below the torch and inside the outer circle of stars, representing the states admitted prior to Indiana; and the nineteenth star, appreciably larger than the others and representing Indiana shall be placed above the flame of the torch.

The outer circle of stars shall be so arranged that one (1) star shall appear directly in the middle at the top of the circle, and the word "Indiana" shall be placed in a half circle over and above the star representing Indiana and midway between it and the star in the center above it. Rays shall be shown radiating from the torch to the three (3) stars on each side of the star in the upper center of the circle. (ref Indiana State Code)

Year Adopted: 1921

Iowa was at one time part of French Louisiana and 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.

Iowa did not have a state flag for the first 75 years of statehood. The state flag was designed in 1917 by the state's Daughters 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)

Year Adopted: 1927, modified 1961

The area that became Kansas was annexed to the U.S. with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, although the southwestern portion was formerly Spanish and Mexican, then Republic of Texas territory annexed after the War with Mexico 1846-1848. The Kansas Territory was organized in 1854 by the U.S. Congress with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The Act voided the Missouri Compromise of 1820, resulting in conflicts between free state, or slavery abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers. The territory extended west into current Colorado. Governance of the Territory was initially from Fort Leavenworth, then Fort Riley. Kansas was admitted to the Union in January 1861 as the 34th state.

A state banner was first adopted in 1925, the name of the state above the state seal centered on a blue field, the seal framed by a sunflower. The sunflower was modified in 1953. The state flag was adopted in 1927, the state seal on a blue background with the sunflower state crest, including a heraldic emblem used by the US Army above the seal. The flag was first displayed at Fort Riley. The state name spelled in gold lettering was added under the seal in 1961. The seal contains a pastoral setting near Fort Riley, the Kansas river and hills, 34 white stars and the state motto "Ad Astra Per Aspera" ("To the stars, with difficulties")

Year Adopted: 1918, specifications authorized 1962

Kentucky was part of the Commonwealth of Virginia immediately after the Declaration of Independence, and at that time flew the flag of Virginia. Kentucky became the 15th US State in 1792.

The flag of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is a navy blue field with the state seal (adopted 1792) centered. The upper portion of the outer ring of the seal includes the words "Commonwealth of Kentucky" and the inner ring, the state motto "United We Stand, Divided We Fall". The seal also depicts a pioneer and a statesman embracing. A goldenrod wreath appears on the flag beneath the seal.

Year Adopted: officially adopted in 1912, revised in 2006 and 2010. Various other unofficial pelican emblem flags date back to 1804.

Official Colors: Blue, White, and Gold. Emblem: A pelican feeding its young against a field of blue.

The Louisiana flag contains a crest centered on a blue field. The crest consists of a nest bearing three chicks, a mother pelican vulning herself with her head turned to the viewer's right and displaying three drops of blood on her breast. Beneath the nest a white banner bears the state motto "Union Justice Confidence." (ref; louisiana.gov)

Louisiana was governed under numerous colonial era flags, including Spain, France, and Great Britain. Louisiana was annexed to the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It was admitted as a state in 1812 as the 18th state. It was readmitted in 1868 after the War Between the States, during which time it flew the Republic of West Florida (lone star Bonnie Blue flag), the Independent Louisiana flag and Confederate States flags.

Year Adopted: 1909

State emblem on a blue field; above is a gold five pointed "North star" and a red scroll bearing the state motto "Dirigo" (Latin) meaning "I Lead"; another scroll beneath the emblem is spelled out "MAINE". The colors for the coat of arms / state emblem are not officially prescribed. Maine was a district of Massachusetts until it was admitted as the 23rd state in 1820. Prior to 1920, the state flag consisted of a New England style green pine tree with a single blue north star on a colonial buff background.

The Great Seal of the State of Maine (formally adopted 1919). The seal of the State shall be a shield, argent, charged with a pine tree (americana, quinis ex uno folliculo setis) with a moose (cervus alces), at the foot of it, recumbent; supporters: on dexter side, a husbandman, resting on a scythe; on sinister side, a seaman, resting on an anchor. In the foreground, representing sea and land, and under the shield, shall be the name of the State in large Roman capitals, to wit: MAINE.  The whole shall be surrounded by a crest, the North Star. The motto, in small Roman capitals, shall be in a label interposed between the shield and crest, viz.: -- DIRIGO. (ref; maine.gov.sos)

Maine State Ensign
A revised pine tree style flag exists currently as the official state ensign or marine flag, being the only state other than Massachusetts that has one. It is a white flag adopted in 1939, consisting of the earlier pine tree /north star design, though entwined with a blue anchor across the trunk of the tree. Spelled above is the state motto "Dirigo", and underneath "Maine". This flag is made to order only.

Year Adopted: 1904.

Colors: Red and white arms, black and gold arms, displayed in two quarters each.

Maryland's flag bears the arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. Calvert was the family name of the Lords Baltimore who founded Maryland, and their colors of gold and black appear in the first and fourth quarters of the flag. Crossland was the family of the mother of George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore. The red and white Crossland colors, with a cross bottony, appear in the second and third quarters. This flag first was flown on October 11, 1880, in Baltimore at a parade marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore. It also was flown on October 25, 1888, at Gettysburg Battlefield for ceremonies dedicating monuments to Maryland regiments of the Army of the Potomac. Officially, it was adopted as the State flag in 1904 (Chapter 48, Acts of 1904, effective March 9, 1904). (ref: Maryland State Archives)

Year Adopted: 1908, revised 1971.

The Flag of the Commonwealth is white, bearing on both sides a representation of the coat of arms like the state seal (except that the five-pointed star is white instead of silver). It was approved for the Commonwealth in its final form on July 3, 1971; before that, the obverse side depicted a green pine tree.

A white flag with a gold color Indian and a five pointed silver star on a blue shield. Above the shield is the state motto, "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" ("By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty") appears in gold on a blue ribbon beneath the blue shield. The blue and gold state military crest appears above the blue shield. The crest is a wreath of blue and gold, on which in gold is a right arm, bent at the elbow, clothed and ruffled, with the hand grasping a broadsword and is prescribed in the Army Institute of Heraldry. (ref; sec.state.ma.us, State Symbols)

Massachusetts was one of the original 13 colonies, ratifying the Constitution in 1788 to become the fifth U.S. State. Massachusetts had an official naval ensign during the Revolutionary War in 1776, a white pine tree flag. See, "An Appeal To Heaven". A green pine tree flag continues as an official state naval flag, minus the Appeal to Heaven motto. Massachusetts and Maine are the only states with official naval ensigns.

The State Flag; Coat of Arms on a blue field. Year Adopted: 1865, revised 1911.

Michigan's state flag is the third since becoming a state in 1837 and features the coat of arms showing an eagle holding an olive branch and arrows. An elk and a moose support a shield displaying a man standing on a grassy peninsula. The following mottos appear on the coat of arms: E Pluribus Unum (From Many, One), Tuebor (I Will Defend) and Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice (If you Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You). (ref: michigan.gov, Michigan State flag)

The first state flag depicted an image of the state's first governor on one side with the state seal on the other side. In 1865, the second state flag replaced the image of the governor with the US Coat of Arms. With State Act 209 of 1911, the flag was revised for a third time to carry the coat of arms only. (ref; michigan.gov/sos, Coat of Arms)

The Great Lakes region was part of the Northwest Territory annexed to the United States with the Ordinance of 1787. Michigan became a separately organized territory in 1805. Between 1818 and 1836 the Michigan territory was extended westward to include parts of current day Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and parts of the Dakotas. The Wisconsin Territory was split off in 1836 and in 1837 Michigan was admitted to the Union as the 26th state.

Year Adopted: 2024.

The Minnesota Legislature created a State Emblem Redesign Commission in 2023. The approved design was chosen from over 2100 submissions, the concept created by Andrew Prekker. On its left side, the flag contains a dark blue background with a white, 8-point star. One of the points of the star points north, representing the state’s motto “L’étoile du Nord.” The dark background is a stylized shape of the outline of the State of Minnesota, representing the land of Minnesota. The remainder of the flag is a solid, bright blue, representing water. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, the home of the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, Lake Superior, and the start of the Great Lakes Basin. (ref; sos.state.mn.us)

The earlier Minnesota state flag, adopted in 1957, was royal blue with the state seal in the center and was retired in May 2024.

Minnesota was annexed to the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Organized as the Minnesota Territory in 1849, it was admitted as the 23rd state in 1858. Various parts of current Minnesota were also part of other jurisdictions, including the Territory Northwest of the Ohio, and the Territories of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Minnesota became a state in 1819.

Year Adopted: January 2021

New Magnolia Flag. Earlier Flag: adopted 1894, admitted to the Union in 1817 as the 20th state. Three equal horizontal bands of blue, white and red from top to bottom, with a "Union Square", often recognized as a Confederate battle flag in a canton on the hoist above the bottom red band.

Earlier flags over Mississippi. Colonial period through 1894: flags of France (Fleur de Lis), Great Britain (Red Ensign and St George Cross flags), and Spain (flag of Castile and Leon, or Castles and Lions) before becoming the Territory of Mississippi in 1798. 19th century and Confederacy: flag of the Republic of West Florida (Bonnie Blue flag), the "Magnolia Flag", 1861, a white flag with a Bonnie Blue canton, a green Magnolia tree centered on the white, and a red vertical band on the fly end. It remained in use until 1894. Several Confederate States flags also flew during the War Between the States (1861-1863).

Year Adopted: 1913.

Three equal horizontal bands of red, white and blue from top to bottom with the state emblem centered. Twenty-four stars surround the coat-of-arms, representing Missouri's position as the 24th state admitted to the Union.

Missouri was annexed to the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.The Territory of Missouri, originally called the Territory of Louisiana until Louisiana statehood in 1812, was an incorporated territory of the United States from 1812-1821. It was admitted to the Union as the 24th state in 1821 under the "Missouri Compromise", which allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state, keeping the balance of slave and free states with equal representation in Congress. Although Missouri was allowed to enter as a slave state, the remaining portion of the Louisiana Purchase area north of the 36° 30¢ line was declared to be free of slavery. During the Civil War however, Missouri was a split state with two state governments; one seceded and joined the Confederacy in 1861, and the other remained loyal to the Union. (see Missouri Civil War Museum, mcwm.org)

Prior to 1913, no state flag existed for Missouri. A state flag design was considered by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1908. Committee member Mrs. Marie Elizabeth Oliver, wife of Senator Robert Burett Oliver, and a resident of Cape Girardeau, designed the flag herself, and on March 17, 1909, a bill supporting the design was introduced to the Missouri Senate. It took three years and several attempts before the bill for the "Oliver flag" was finally passed. On March 22, 1913, Governor Elliot Major signed the bill into law, and made the Oliver flag the official state flag of Missouri. (ref: sos.mo.gov, The Missouri State Flag)

Year adopted: 1905, admitted to the Union 1889, as the 41st state. The area of Montana was annexed to the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.  Portions of the area were organized under both the Nebraska and Dakota Territories. The Montana Territory was then incorporated in 1864 and existed until Statehood in 1889.

The official flag of the State of Montana contains a reproduction of the Great Seal of the State in color on a field of deep blue, with gold fringe along the upper and lower borders. Although the flag was carried in the Philippines by the Montana Volunteers in the Spanish-American War in 1898 and was for many years considered the state flag, official action did not come from Montana Legislators until the session of 1904. The original hand-made banner carried by the First Montana Volunteers in the Spanish-American War is preserved by the Historical Society of Montana. It is 60 X 44 inches overall; the dark blue silk of the field is tattered and somewhat faded. But the Great Seal, beautifully hand-embroidered into a heavy tapestry, is in perfect condition. The words "First Montana Infantry, U.S.V." are embroidered in white over the multi-colored Great Seal. A 3-inch gold fringe adorns the top and bottom of this historic banner.

When the Ninth Legislative Assembly gathered in Helena in 1905, Representative Jacob M. Kennedy of Silver Bow County introduced House bill 157 adopting the banner as the State's official flag, with the deletion of the Infantry designation. Kennedy's bill read: "The 'State Flag of Montana' shall be a flag having a blue field, with a representation of the Great Seal of the State in the center, and with golden fringe along the upper and lower borders of the flag; the same being the flag borne by the First Montana Infantry, U.S.V., in the Spanish-American War with the exception of the device, '1st Montana Infantry, U.S.V.'" the House of Representatives passed the bill without a dissenting vote on February 7, 1905, and the Senate concurred on February 19.

The flag proved to be difficult to manufacture since the Great Seal had to be reproduced in a perfect color register, and no specifications had been given as to the shade of blue in the field. The dark blue of the volunteer flag was copied as nearly as possible in reproductions. (sos.mt.gov, About the State Flag) The flag uses a representation of the inner portion of the Great Seal on a blue field with "MONTANA" in gold lettering above. The great seal of the state is as follows: a central group representing a plow and a miner's pick and shovel; upon the right, a representation of the Great Falls of the Missouri River; upon the left, mountain scenery; and underneath, the words "Oro y Plata". The seal is surrounded by these words, "The Great Seal of the State of Montana". (ref sos.mt.gov, About the State Seal)

Year adopted: 1925.

Nebraska was admitted to the Union in 1867 as the 37th state.

The area of Nebraska was annexed to the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The Nebraska Territory, which included the Dakotas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, was formed with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The Nebraska Territory was subsequently reduced in size as the Dakota, Colorado and Idaho territories were organized separately. The Homesteader Act of 1862 brought rapid and widespread settlement to the current state area, and Nebraska became a state within five years.

Nebraska’s state flag was designated by legislative action in 1925. It consists of a reproduction of the state seal, charged on the center in gold and silver on a field of national blue. Legislation creating the original state seal was passed in 1867.

The seal’s design is as follows: On the right, a steamboat is ascending the Missouri River. The Rocky Mountains are on the left. In the background, a train of cars is heading toward the Rocky Mountains. The mechanical arts are represented by a smith with hammer and anvil. Agriculture is represented by a settler’s cabin and sheaves of wheat. In the top of the circle is the state motto: “Equality Before the Law.” The circle is surrounded with the words, “Great Seal of the State of Nebraska, March 1st, 1867. (ref nebraskalegislature.gov, Nebraska State Symbols)

Year Adopted: 1991

The Territory of Nevada was separated from the Utah Territory and incorporated in 1861. Nevada was admitted to the Union as the 36th state in 1864. In both 1864 and 1867 additional land was transferred to the state from portions of the Utah and Arizona Territories.

Nevada has had four flags in its history. The Legislature adopted the design of the first flag in 1905, more than 40 years after Nevada entered the Union. Governor John Sparks and Colonel Henry Day of Carson City, a member of the Governor's staff, designed this flag. It had a blue background with the words "Nevada" in the center, "silver" at the top, and "gold" at the bottom. Thirty-six silver and gold stars represented that Nevada was the 36th state admitted to the Union.

In 1915, the State Legislature repealed the 1905 Flag Act and created a new official flag, which was much different from the original. Clara Crisler of Carson City designed the new flag. It had a blue background with the State seal in the center. The design featured 18 gold stars arranged around the word "Nevada," and 18 silver stars below the words "All for Our Country." Again, the 36 stars indicated that Nevada was the 36th state admitted to the Union. When Miss Crisler added an extra star for a total of 37, the meaning of the stars was lost. This flag now hangs in the Nevada State Museum located in Carson City.

The Legislature adopted the design of Don Louis Shellback III for the third flag in 1929. The background color of the flag remained blue, but the flag's design changed dramatically. Two sprays of sagebrush crossed to form a wreath in the upper left portion of the flag. A five-pointed star appeared at the center of the wreath with "Nevada" spelled out between the points of the star. A scroll with the motto "Battle Born" signified that Nevada entered the Union during the Civil War.

The 1991 Legislature approved a bill, sponsored by Senator William J. Raggio, to alter the way that "Nevada" is depicted on the State flag. Since October 1, 1991, the name "Nevada" has been positioned underneath instead of interspersed between the points of the star. Verne R. Horton created the current design of the flag.

Year Adopted: 1909

New Hampshire was one of the thirteen original colonies to declare independence in 1776. It included the area that later became the state of Vermont in 1808. It was the first colony to adopt its own constitution, and the ninth state to ratify the National Constitution.

New Hampshire did not officially adopt a state flag until 1909. Prior to that, New Hampshire had numerous regimental flags to represent the state. The flag has only been changed once, in 1931 when the state's seal was modified. The state seal was first created in 1775, was revised in 1784 and again in 1931.

The body of the flag is national blue. The center of the flag has the state’s seal with the frigate Raleigh -- all surrounded by laurel leaves and nine stars, and encircling the field is the inscription, SEAL OF THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. The Raleigh one of the first 13 warships sponsored by the Continental Congress for a new American navy. (ref; nh.gov, New Hampshire Almanac, State Flag, State Seal)

Year Adopted: 1896.

Official Color: Buff (yellow tan).

New Jersey is one of the thirteen original states and became the third state to ratify the Constitution in 1787. The New Jersey State flag displays official State colors. The State seal is presented in Jersey blue on a buff background. The colors were chosen by General George Washington in 1779, after he was headquartered in New Jersey during the Revolutionary war. These were the military colors used by the New Jersey troops. New Jersey's state seal was designed in 1777.

The State seal in the center of the flag contains a horse's head. A helmet showing that New Jersey governs itself and three plows on a shield referring to the State's agriculture tradition, giving it the nickname "Garden State". The two Goddesses represent the State motto, "Liberty and Prosperity". Liberty is on the left. She is holding a staff with a liberty cap on it, and the word liberty underneath her. The goddess on the right is Ceres, goddess of agriculture. She is holding a cornucopia with prosperity written below her. (ref; njleg.gov, New Jersey State Flag; or see: state.nj.us, Facts and Symbols)

Year Adopted: 1925.

New Mexico became the 47th US state in 1912.

The area of New Mexico was ceded by Mexico to the USA in 1848 after the Mexican American War of 1846. A provisional military war time government was in place until the New Mexico Territory was established in 1850. The area included parts of current day Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. The Colorado Territory was established in 1861, and Arizona Territory in 1863. New Mexico was granted statehood in 1912.

The first state flag of New Mexico was a blue field with a miniature United States flag in the upper left corner, the state’s great seal in the lower right corner and “New Mexico” embroidered diagonally across the field from the lower left to the upper right corner.

Current State Flag: In 1920, the New Mexico Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution advocated the adoption of a flag representative of New Mexico’s unique character. Three years later, the D.A.R. conducted a design competition, won by the distinguished Santa Fe physician and archeologist, Dr. Harry Mera. The doctor’s wife, Reba, made the winning flag design with a symbolic red Zia on a field of yellow. In March of 1925, Governor Arthur T. Hannett signed the legislation, which proclaimed the Mera design as the official state flag.

The State Flag of New Mexico has a modern interpretation of an ancient symbol of a sun design as seen on a late 19th century water jar from Zia Pueblo. This pueblo is thought to have been one of the Seven Golden Cities of Cíbola, which explorer Vásquez de Coronado sought. The red sun symbol was called a “Zia” and is shown on a field of yellow. This distinctive design reflects the pueblo's tribal philosophy, with its wealth of pantheistic spiritualism teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe. Four is the sacred number of Zia, and the figure is composed of a circle from which four points radiate. To the Zia Indian, the sacred number is embodied in the earth with its four main directions; in the year with its four seasons; in the day, with sunrise, noon, evening and night; in life, with its four divisions - childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life, without beginning, without end.  States of America have all flown over the “Land of Enchantment” during the long history of the state. The Zia believe, too, that in this great brotherhood of all things, man has four sacred obligations: he must develop a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of his people. (ref; sos.state.nm.us, State Symbols, State Flag)

Year Adopted: 1901

New York State was one of the original 13 states, adopting its own constitution in 1777 and becoming the 11th State after ratifying the US Constitution in 1788. New York City was the first Capital of the United States, beginning in 1785 and intermittently until 1790.

The State Flag depicts the Great Seal of the State of New York (adopted 1778) on a blue background. In the center of the Great Seal is a shield, which shows two ships on the Hudson River; three mountains are displayed in the background and centered above is a golden sun in a blue sky. Above the shield is an American eagle, wings spread, atop a globe. The figures on either side of the shield represent Liberty and Justice. Liberty holds a staff topped with a Phrygian cap, symbolic of the cap given to a Roman slave upon the formal act of emancipation and freedom. This cap was adopted by French revolutionists as a symbol of liberty, especially in the U.S. before 1800. The figure of Justice is blindfolded and carries a sword in one hand and scales in the other. These symbols represent the impartiality and fairness required for the assignment of a merited reward or punishment.

The banner shows the State motto--Excelsior--which means "Ever Upward. "On a banner below is the State motto, Excelsior, which means "Ever Upward." (ref: nysl.nysed.gov, Great Seal, State Flag)

Year Adopted: 1885.

North Carolina is one of the 13 original colonies and the 12th state, ratifying the Constitution in 1789.

The current and second North Carolina state flag was adopted in 1885, however it has roots in an earlier version adopted in 1861 when North Carolina declared secession from the Union.

The current State flag has a blue union (vertical band) on the hoist side which contains a white star in the center with a gilt N on the left and gilt C on the right, with scrolls above and below also in gold, indicating two separate dates of declarations of independence. The fly side of the flag is split horizontally and equally with a red band on top, and white band beneath. The length of the horizontal bars are equal to the perpendicular length of the blue union.

The dates: the bottom date of date April 12, 1776, the first official action by any of the Colonies calling for independence, at Halifax, NC, and referred to as the Halifax Resolves. The top date of May 20, 1775, the Mecklenburg Declaration, refers to an alleged earlier declaration of independence by Mecklenburg County, NC. (ref: ncpedia.org)

Year Adopted: 1911.

Acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and renamed the Missouri Territory in 1812, North Dakota was as part of the organized Dakota Territory in 1861. North Dakota was admitted as the 39th state in 1889.

The North Dakota flag is similar to the flag used by North Dakota soldiers who fought alongside Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War in 1898. In 1911, the Legislative Assembly added the words “North Dakota” to this flag and adopted it as the official North Dakota state flag.

The flag contains a centered emblem that shows a bald eagle holding an olive branch, which is a symbol of peace, and a bundle of arrows in its claws. In the eagle’s beak is a ribbon with the Latin words “E Pluribus Unum” which means “many uniting into one.” This refers to the many states uniting into one nation.

The eagle has 13 stars above its head and a shield with 13 red and white stripes in front of it. The stars and stripes stand for the first 13 states in the United States. Below the eagle is a red scroll with the words “North Dakota.” (ref; history.nd.gov, North Dakota State Flag Official details)

Year Adopted: 1902.

Ohio was once part of the Northwest Territory created by the United States in 1787, after Britian ceded claims to its western territories at the end of the American Revolution. Ohio became the 17th state in 1803.

The Ohio burgee, as the swallow-tailed design is properly called, was designed in 1901 by John Eisenmann, architect and designer for Ohio Building at the Pan-American Exposition being held in Buffalo, New York. The Ohio flag has three red and two white horizontal stripes. At its staff end, in a blue triangular field whose apex is at the center of the middle red stripe, are 17 white, five-pointed stars grouped around a red disc superimposed upon a white circular O.

Mr. Eisenmann explained the Ohio flag’s symbolism: “The triangles formed by the main lines of the flag represent the hills and valleys as typified in the State Seal, and the stripes the roads and waterways. The stars, indicating the 13 original states of the Union, are grouped about the circle which represents the Northwest Territory; and that Ohio was the seventeenth state admitted into the Union is shown by adding four more stars. The white circle with its red center not only represents the initial letter of Ohio but is suggestive of it being the Buckeye State. (ref; ohiohistorycentral.org)

Year Adopted: 1925.

Oklahoma became the 46th state in 1907.

Most of the land that is now Oklahoma was acquired by the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In the 1830s, the U.S. used the land to relocate Indian tribes, and the Indian Territory was formed from the land set aside by the Indian Intercourse Act of 1834. The Indian Territory originally extended beyond present-day Oklahoma, but the size was gradually reduced over the course of the 19th century. In 1889 Congress authorized the opening land seized from the Indian Territory for homestead settlement, and a year later Congress passed an act that officially created the Oklahoma Territory (1890). (ref: National Archives, archives.gov)

The present Oklahoma State Flag, adopted by the State Legislature in 1925, is Oklahoma's 14th flag. The flag shows a sky blue field with a central device: an Indian war shield of tan buckskin showing small crosses on the face -- the Indian design for stars -- and seven eagle feathers pendent for the edge of the shield. An Indian peace pipe (calumet) with a pipestone bowl and a tassel at the end of the pipestem lies on the shield; above the Indian peace pipe is an olive branch, the white man's emblem of peace. Underneath the shield or design in white letters is the word "OKLAHOMA" (ref: state.ok.us, Oklahoma State Icons)

Year Adopted: 1925.

The Oregon state flag, adopted in 1925, is navy blue with gold lettering and symbols. The state colors are blue and gold.

On the flag’s face the legend “STATE OF OREGON” is written above a shield which is surrounded by 33 stars. Below the shield, which is the obverse portion of the state seal, is written “1859” the year of Oregon’s admission to the union as the 33rd state. The flag’s reverse side depicts a beaver. Oregon is the only state whose flag has a different pattern on the reverse side.

The shield depicts the mountains and forests of Oregon, an elk with branching antlers, a covered wagon and ox team, the Pacific Ocean with a setting sun, a departing British man-of-war ship (a symbol of the departure of British influence in the region) and an arriving American merchant ship (a symbol of the rise of American power). The 33 stars supporting the shield signify that Oregon was the 33rd state to join the Union.

Acquired with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and explored by the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1805-1806, the Oregon frontier was formerly explored by the French, Spanish, Russian and British. The Oregon Territory was created in 1848 after the Oregon Treaty established the border between British North America and the United States. In 1853 the Washington Territory was carved out of the Oregon Territory. An Oregon constitutional convention was authorized in 1857, and Oregon was admitted to the Union in 1859 as the 33rd state. (ref; bluebook.state.or.us, Oregon History)

Year Adopted: 1799.

Pennsylvania shares with Virginia, Kentucky and Massachusetts the designation "Commonwealth." The application of the term "Keystone State" to Pennsylvania cannot be traced to any single source. The word "keystone" comes from architecture and refers to the central, wedge-shaped stone in an arch, which holds all the other stones in place. It was commonly accepted soon after 1800.

Pennsylvania's State Flag is composed of the State Coat of Arms on a blue field. The first State Flag bearing the State Coat of Arms was authorized by the General Assembly in 1799. During the Civil War, many Pennsylvania regiments carried flags modeled after the U.S. Flag but substituted Pennsylvania's Coat of Arms for the field of stars. An act of the General Assembly of June 13, 1907, standardized the flag and required that the blue field match the blue of Old Glory. (ref; portal.state.pa.us, Symbols of Pennsylvania)

Pennsylvania's Coat of Arms forms the design on Pennsylvania's State Flag. In 1778, Caleb Lownes of Philadelphia prepared a state coat of arms. Heraldic in design, it consisted of a shield, which displayed the emblems of the State Seal --- the ship, plough, and sheaves of wheat; an eagle for the crest; two black horses as supporters; and the motto "Virtue, Liberty and Independence." An olive branch and a cornstalk were crossed below the shield.

Year Adopted: 1877.

"The flag of the state shall be white, bearing on each side in the center a gold anchor, twenty-two inches high, and underneath it a blue ribbon twenty-four inches long and five inches wide, or in these proportions, with the motto "Hope" in golden letters thereon, the whole surrounded by thirteen golden stars in a circle." The Rhode Island General Assembly first adopted a Seal for the colony containing an anchor with the word "Hope" above it on May 4, 1664. There is no official documentation from the time when Rhode Island first adopted the word "Hope" on its Seal and flag that explains why this word was chosen. The arms of the state, adopted in 1882, are a golden anchor on a blue field, and the motto thereof is the word "Hope". The smallest state of the union, Rhode Island, also has the longest official name of any of the states: "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". The state was named by Dutch explorer Adrian Block. He named it "Roodt Eylandt" meaning "red island" in reference to the red clay that lined the shore. (ref; ri.gov, Facts, History)

Rhode Island became the first colony to renounce allegiance to King George III in May 1776. Ten weeks later, on July 18, the Assembly ratified the Declaration of Independence. In 1778 the state had quickly ratified the Articles of Confederation, with its weak central government, but when the movement to strengthen that government developed in the mid-1780's, Rhode Island balked. The first election, which was boycotted by the supporters of stronger union (called Federalists), rejected the Constitution by a vote of 2,708 to 237. In mid-January 1790, more than eight months after George Washington's inauguration as first president of the United States, the Country party reluctantly called the required convention, but it took two separate sessions. The ratification tally -- thirty-four in favor and thirty-two opposed -- was the narrowest of any state, and a favorable result was obtained only because four Antifederalists either absented themselves or abstained from voting. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution. (ref; state.ri.us, sos.ri.gov, Library, Rhode Island History)

Year Adopted: 1861

The General Assembly adopted the current version of South Carolina’s flag on January 28, 1861. This version added the Palmetto tree to the original design by Colonel William Moultrie in 1775 for use by South Carolina troops during the Revolutionary War. Colonel Moultrie chose a blue color which matched the color of their uniforms and a crescent which reproduced the silver emblem worn on the front of their caps. The palmetto tree symbolized Colonel Moultrie's heroic defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan's Island against the attack of the British fleet on June 28, 1776. (ref; scstatehouse.gov, Seals, Flags and Emblems)

South Carolina is one of the original thirteen colonies. More Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes were fought in South Carolina than any other state. South Carolina ratified the United States Constitution on May 23, 1788, becoming the eighth state to enter the union. (statelibrary.sc.gov, History) The prime two Revolutionary War South Carolina flags were the Fort Moultrie / Liberty flag and the Cowpens Flag.

Year Adopted: 1966, revised 1992 (prior existing flags remain official)

The flag emblem for South Dakota contains the black & white version of the seal, surrounded by the gold serrated sun and lettering as described below.

The state flag or banner shall consist of a sky-blue one and two-thirds long as it is wide. Centered on such a field shall be the great seal of South Dakota made in conformity with the terms of the Constitution, which shall be four-ninths the width of the flag in diameter.

The seal shall be on a white background with the seal outlined in dark blue or, in the alternative, shall be on a sky-blue background with the seal outlined in dark blue thereon. Surrounding the seal in gold shall be a serrated sun whose extreme width shall be five-ninths the width of the flag. The words "South Dakota" symmetrically arranged to conform to the circle of the sun and seal shall appear in gold letters one-eighteenth the width of the field above the sun and seal and the words "The Mount Rushmore State" in like-sized gold letters and in like arrangement shall appear below the sun and seal. (ref; state.sd.us, History South Dakota flags)

South Dakota was acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, explored by the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806, and renamed the Missouri Territory in 1812. South Dakota was part of the organized Dakota Territory in 1861. The Enabling Act of 1889 caused the Dakota Territory to be divided in half and proposed statehood for North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington. South Dakota was admitted as the 40th state in 1889.

Year Adopted: 1905.

The flag features an emblem as follows: three white stars on a blue globe representing the grand divisions of the state: East, Middle and West. Tennessee is divided into three regions by the Tennessee River: West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee. The stars are bound together in indissoluble unity by an unending white band. The flag field is red, and on the fly end is a vertical blue band separated from the red field by a white edging. The width of the white stripe is one-fifth that of the blue bar; and the combined width of stripe and bar is equal to one-eighth the width of the flag.

North Carolina ceded its western land, the Tennessee county, to the Federal Government in 1789. Congress designated the area as the Territory of the United States, South of the River Ohio. The "Southwest Territory" as it was also known, was incorporated in 1790 and existed until 1796, when Congress approved the admission of Tennessee as the sixteenth state of the Union in June of 1796. (ref; tn.gov, State History Timeline)

Year Adopted: 1839.

The Texas state flag is the 1839 national flag of the Republic of Texas. The state flag is a rectangle that has a width to length ratio of two to three. It contains one blue vertical stripe that has a width equal to one-third the length of the flag, and two equal horizontal stripes, with the upper stripe white, the lower stripe red, and each having a length equal to two-thirds the length of the flag. The flag has one white, regular five-pointed star. The five-pointed star is located at the center of the blue stripe, oriented so that one point faces upward, and sized so that the diameter of a circle passing through the five points of the star is equal to three-fourths the width of the blue stripe. The red and blue of the state flag are the same colors used in the United States flag. The red, white, and blue of the state flag represent, respectively, bravery, purity and loyalty.

Texas was at one time a province of New Spain. After the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1813), Mexican Texas was controlled by the Empire of Mexico which then became the Republic of Mexico (1823). The Texas Revolution began with the Battle of Gonzales in 1835 and culminated in 1836 with independence and the establishment of the Republic of Texas. The Lone Star Republic of Texas was an independent sovereign nation from 1836-1846 and annexed to the United States in 1845. The Alamo flag and the Gonzales Banner are two historic flags of Texas.

Year Adopted: 2023.

The Organization for a New Utah Flag was established in February 2018. Its goal was to design and implement an impressive new state flag for Utah. The Organization proposed an updated design from public feedback to be Utah's commemorative state flag the state's 125th anniversary beginning in 2021.

The new Beehive Flag earned House and Senate approval and was signed into law by Gov. Spencer Cox on March 21, 2023. The Beehive flag highlights visual symbols designed to serve as a rallying emblem of unity throughout the state. The design incorporates distinctive colors, shapes, and symbols representing the values, history, and aspirations of Utahns, as reported in surveys and design submissions. Utah’s former state flag will be preserved in an elevated form. It will be flown with the new flag at the Utah State Capitol during official ceremonies, special events, and legislative sessions. As a historical emblem, Utah’s seal will continue to be displayed. (ref; flag.utah.gov)

The earlier Utah State Flag consisted of a solid white state seal on a light blue background which was adopted by the State Legislature in 1896 and revised in 1913. The flag was originally designed for the battleship Utah in 1912. It was later made the official flag of Utah when Governor William Spry signed House Joint Resolution I in 1913. It had a blue background with the (ed. inner portion of the) State Seal inscribed in the center within a single gold circle. In 1922, changes were made in the state flag which were not consistent with the 1913 statute. The Utah State Flag Concurrent Resolution (Utah State Legislature, 2011 General Session, H.C.R. 2 Enrolled) reaffirmed the 1913 statute and encouraged that state flags be manufactured according to the law. (ref; pioneer.utah.gov)

Year Adopted: 1923.

The flag borne by regiments of the State of Vermont in the Civil War, the Spanish- American War, the Mexican Border service and at the outbreak of World War I, was a flag having the state coat-of-arms on a blue field. A flag of the same design had by custom also been carried as the Governor's flag. Accordingly, No. 3 of the Acts of 1923 approved this design as the official state flag as it is today. (ref; libraries.vermont.gov, sec.state.vt.us)

Both New York and New Hampshire claimed Vermont in the late 1700's. In 1775, the Green Mountain Boys formed to defend the New Hampshire land grants against the New Yorkers. Ethan Allen, one of Vermont's founders, led this army until the British captured him. The Green Mountain Boys became famous for their role in the American Revolution at the battles of Hubbardton and Bennington in 1777. After these battles, the Green Mountain Boys returned home and declared Vermont an independent republic. In 1790, New York consented to the admission of Vermont into the Union (for a payment of $30,000) and stated the New York-Vermont boundary should be the mid-channel of Lake Champlain. In 1791, fourteen years after declaring independence, Vermont became the 14th state, and the first state to join the Union after the original 13 colonies. (ref; sec.vt.us)

Year Adopted: 1861.

Virginia is one of the original 13 colonies and is officially known as The Commonwealth of Virginia. It ratified the Constitution in 1788 and became the 10th state in the Union. The flag of the Commonwealth is deep blue with a centered circular coat of arms, the obverse side of the great seal. (prescribed in leg.1.state.va.us, Code of Virginia, § 1-500)

The seal features the words "VIRGINIA," above and "SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS" (“thus always to tyrants”) below the figure of Virtus, Roman goddess of virtue, holding a sword and a spear. She has defeated a tyrant who is lying on the ground holding a chain and a whip. The seal was designed by George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and was adopted in 1776. The flag was adopted in 1861. (see also, virginia.org)

Year Adopted: 1923.

The flag of Washington State is dark green centered with the state seal. Washington State flags are produced double sided, meaning the seal reads correct on both sides. The state seal was designed in 1889 by Olympia jeweler Charles Talcott and consists of a facial image of George Washington on a blue background and encircled by a gold ring with black lettering reading "The Seal of the State of Washington 1889". (ref; leg.wa.gov, RCW 1.20.010, State Flag)

After the Oregon Treaty resolved a border dispute with the British, the Oregon Territory was created by Congress in 1848 and included current day Washington state. In 1853 Oregon and Washington were split into separate territories. In 1889 Washington was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state.

Year Adopted: 1929.

West Virginia adopted its present state flag by Senate Joint Resolution Number 18, approved by the Legislature on March 7, 1929.The proportions of the state flag are the same as those of the United States flag. The background, or field, of the flag is pure white bordered by a strip of blue on all four sides.

In the center is the coat-of-arms of the State of West Virginia, including the date of admission to the union and the state motto, Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers are always free). Above the coat-of-arms is a ribbon lettered "State of West Virginia." A wreath of the state flower, Rhododendron, is arranged appropriately around the lower part of the coat-of-arms. When used for parade purposes, the flag of West Virginia should be trimmed with gold colored fringe on three sides. When used on ceremonial occasions along with the United States flag, the West Virginia flag should be trimmed and mounted like the United States flag regarding fringe, cord, tassels and mounting. (ref; sos.wv.gov, West Virgina State Flag)

West Virginia had split from Virginia to join Union forces during the Civil War. West Virginia became the 35th state on June 20, 1863, and is the only state in the Union to have acquired its sovereignty by proclamation by the President of the United States. Statehood was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln. (ref; wvsto.com, West Virginia State Treasurer, WV History)

Year Adopted: 1863, modified 1979 with the addition of the word "WISCONSIN" in white letters above the state coat of arms and the date that Wisconsin was admitted to the union, "1848" in white letters below the state coat of arms. The Wisconsin state flag is a blue field with the state coat of arms centered, with "1848" below the arms, and "WISCONSIN" above the arms.

State Coat of Arms: Finalized in 1881. The Coat of Arms contains symbols that represent the diversity, wealth and abundance of resources in Wisconsin. The center of the shield contains the United States shield with the motto E Pluribus Unum. Below the shield are a cornucopia (a symbol for the plenty of the state), bars of lead to represent Wisconsin's mineral wealth, and 13 stars which symbolize the thirteen original states. Above the shield is a badger, and a scroll with the word "FORWARD ".

Acquired by the United States after the American Revolution and the signing of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, Wisconsin was part of the original Northwest Territory (1788). Afterwards, it was part of the Indiana Territory (1800), Illinois Territory (1809), and Michigan Territory (1818) before being incorporated as the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. In 1848, Wisconsin was admitted to the Union as the 30th state.

Year Adopted: 1917.

The area that is now Wyoming was acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The name "Wyoming" is derived from the Wyoming Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania. The Wyoming Territory was formed from sections of the Dakota, Utah, and Idaho territories and incorporated in 1868. The territorial government was established in May of 1869. The first territorial governor, John A. Campbell was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant and took office April 15, 1869. Wyoming was admitted to the Union in 1890 as the 44th state.

The Wyoming state flag consists of the Great Seal of Wyoming centered on white buffalo silhouette facing the flag hoist, within a blue field surrounded by an inner white border and outer red border. The borders, field and seal are described in Wyoming statute 8.3.102 as follows: the red border width shall be one-twentieth (1/20) of the length of the flag; next to the border shall be a stripe of white on the four sides of the field, which shall be in width one-fortieth (1/40) of the length of the flag. The remainder of the flag shall be a blue field, in the center of which shall be a white silhouetted buffalo, the length of which shall be one-half of the length of the blue field; the other measurements of the buffalo shall be in proportion to its length. On the ribs of the buffalo shall be the great seal of the state of Wyoming in blue. The seal shall be in diameter one-fifth the length of the flag. The Great Seal of the State of Wyoming was adopted in 1893 and revised in 1921. (ref; soswy.state.wy.us)

The symbolism of the flag; on the bison, once the monarch of the plains, is the seal representing the custom of branding. The colors of the State Flag are the same as those of the National Flag. The red border represents the Indian; also, the blood of the pioneers who gave their lives reclaiming the soil. White is the emblem of purity and uprightness over Wyoming. Blue, the color of the sky and mountains, is symbolic of fidelity, justice and virility. The Wyoming State Flag, was designed by Mrs. A.C. Keyes of Casper (formerly Miss Verna Keays of Buffalo), was adopted by the fourteenth legislature on January 31, 1917. (ref; wyoming.gov, wyohistory.org)

Year Adopted: 1960

The flag of American Samoa is blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a war club known as a "Fa'alaufa'i" (upper; left talon), and a coconut fiber fly whisk known as a "Fue" (lower; right talon); the combination of symbols broadly mimics that seen on the US Great Seal and reflects the relationship between the United States and American Samoa (ref: CIA World Factbook, Feb. 2014)

American Samoa is a group of islands, and an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific between the Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand. The U.S. took possession of the territory by treaty in 1900. American Samoa is administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior.

Year Adopted: 1948 current version (origins from 1917)

The Guam flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, a proa or outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters. The proa is sailing in Agana Bay with the promontory of Punta Dos Amantes, near the capital, in the background. Blue represents the sea and red the bloodshed in the struggle against oppression.

Guam is an unorganized incorporated Territory of the United States located between the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines. It was acquired from Spain by Treaty in 1898. Guam was captured by Japan in 1941 and retaken by the US three years later. The military installation on the island is one of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific. The Territory is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. (ref: CIA World Factbook, Jan. 2014)

Year Adopted: 1952.

US Territory. The flag was originally created in 1895 during a time of advocacy for Puerto Rican and Cuban independence from Spain. Note the similarity with the flag of Cuba.

The flag of Puerto Rico has five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white. A blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center.  The white star symbolizes Puerto Rico; the three sides of the triangle signify the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government. Blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters. Red symbolizes the blood shed by warriors, while white represents liberty, victory, and peace. (ref: CIA World Factbook, Jan. 2014)

Puerto Rico flag (Bandera de Puerto Rico) colors: The government of Puerto Rico specifies the flag colors to be used but, does not specify official tones or shades. It is not uncommon to see the flag of Puerto Rico with different shades of blue displayed on the island. USA made flags are typically produced using the blue in the USA flag (Blue PMS 2768). Flags can be made to order with a lighter tone "light blue" "French Blue" (PMS 285), or "sky blue" Royal Blue PMS 286.

US Territory. The U.S. Virgin Islands flag consists of a white field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I. The coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows on the left with a superimposed shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel; white is a symbol of purity, the letters stand for the Virgin Islands. The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) are a group of islands in the Caribbean purchased from Denmark and organized as an unincorporated territory in 1917. Denmark had controlled the portions of the island group since 1672.

The Territory was reorganized under 1936 and 1945 acts of Congress and is under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior. It has had an elected territorial governor since 1970.

Year Adopted: 1938.

Approved October 25, 1938, the flag of the District of Columbia consists of three five pointed red stars above two horizontal red bars on a white background. It is based on the design of the coat of arms of George Washington, first used to identify the family in the twelfth century, when one of George Washington's ancestors took possession of Washington Old Hall, then in County Durham, northeast England. For heraldic reasons, the stars are properly called mullets. (ref os.dc.gov, DC Symbols) The flag was designed by graphic designer Charles A.R. Dunn, the result of a flag design contest.

The District of Columbia was established in 1790 when Congress directed selection of a new national capital site, 100 sq mi, along the Potomac River. When the site was determined, it included 30.75 sq mi on the Virginia side of the river. In 1846 Congress returned that area to Virginia, leaving the 68.25 sq mi ceded by Maryland in 1788. The seat of government was transferred from Philadelphia to Washington on Dec. 1, 1800, and President John Adams became the first resident in the White House.