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State Flag Design and History, N-W
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Nebraska
The Nebraska State Flag is described as a reproduction of the Great Seal of the State of Nebraska in gold and silver centered on a field of the same blue as the United States Flag. The Nebraska State Legislature designated this design as the official Nebraska State Flag in 1963.
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Nevada
The State Flag of Nevada has a field of cobalt blue. In the upper left hand corner of the flag are two sprays of sagebrush, the Nevada state flower, in a semi-circular design. Above the sprays is the state name Nevada, a Spanish word for snow-clad, as a reminder of the great peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Above the state name is a single silver star representing the Nevada state mineral (silver) as well as the wealth of other mineral resources within the state. The words Battle Born on the gold scroll above the star testify that Nevada was admitted to the union during the Civil War. The Nevada State Flag was adopted in its current form in 1991 by the Nevada State Legislature.
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New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s State Flag consists of the state seal centered on a field of blue. The State Seal of New Hampshire is surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves with nine stars interspersed between the sprigs of laurel. The nine stars represent New Hampshire’s status as the ninth state admitted to the union. The New Hampshire State Flag was adopted in 1909 and the state seal was amended in 1931 by the New Hampshire Legislature.
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New Jersey
The State flag of New Jersey has a buff colored field which dates back to 1779. The color was chosen by General George Washington when he was directed by the Continental Congress to prescribe the uniform for the regiments of the New Jersey Continental Line during the Revolutionary War. The uniforms chosen were dark blue (Jersey Blue) coats with buff facing. The state coat of arms is emblazoned in the center of the flag. The shield of the coat of arms has three plows on it. A closed knight’s helmet appears above the shield with a horse's head above that. Two women, one on each side of the shield, represent the goddesses of Liberty and Agriculture. A ribbon at the bottom includes the year of independence (1776) and contains the State Motto, Liberty and Prosperity. The New Jersey state flag was formally adopted by the New Jersey State Legislature in 1896.
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New Mexico
The New Mexico State flag features the red symbol of the Zia on a yellow field. The yellow and red colors are the same as the colors of Spain which were brought to New Mexico by the Conquistadores in 1540. The Zia is an ancient Native American sun symbol. It is a red sun with rays stretching out from it in four different directions. There are four groups of rays with four rays in each group. This ancient sun symbol signifies the belief that the giver of all good gives gifts in groups of four. The gifts are: the directions - North, East, South, and West; the seasons - spring, summer, fall, and winter; the day - sunrise, noon, evening, and night; and life itself - childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. All of these things are bound together within the circle of life , without a beginning or end. This became the official flag for the State of New Mexico in 1920.
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New York
The New York State Flag is a modern version of a Revolutionary War flag. The New York State Flag displays the State Coat of Arms, adopted in 1778, centered on a dark blue field. The coat of arms consists of a shield that depicts a cloudless sky with a rising sun behind three mountains, the highlands of the Hudson River. A three-masted, square-rigged ship and a Hudson River sloop navigate towards each other on the Hudson River representing commerce. Beneath the shield on a white ribbon is the state motto, Excelsior (Ever Upward). Above the shield a bald eagle with its wings spread sits perched atop a globe with the northern Atlantic Ocean facing forward. The eagle faces right which is an omen of good fortune. On one side of the shield stands Justice, who is blindfolded, and carries a sword in one hand and a scale in the other. These symbols represent impartiality and fairness. On the other side of the shield stands Liberty, holding a pole topped with the Phrygian cap which was originally given to Roman slaves when emancipated and was later adopted by French Revolutionists as a symbol of freedom. A crown is at her left foot symbolizing the failed control of the British Monarchy.
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North Carolina
The State Flag of North Carolina consists of a blue union (or vertical band on the left side of the flag) which has in its center a white star with the letter N in gold on the left and the letter C in gold on the right of the star. The fly end of the flag consists of two equally proportioned bars; the upper bar is red and the lower bar is white. The length of the bars horizontally are equal to the height of the union, and the total length of the flag is proportioned to be one-third more than its width. Above the star in the center of the union there is a gold scroll in semi-circular form, containing in black letters the inscription May 20th, 1775 (the date of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence) and below the star there is a similar scroll containing in black letters the inscription April 12th, 1776 (the date of the Halifax Resolves). The North Carolina State Legislature adopted the North Carolina State Flag in its final form in March of 1865.
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North Dakota
North Dakota's State Flag has a dark blue field on which a bald eagle holds an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its claws. In its beak, the eagle carries a ribbon with the words One Nation Made up of Many States. The shield on the eagle’s breast has thirteen stars, representing the original thirteen states. The fan shaped design above the eagle represents the birth of a new nation, the United States. The name North Dakota is written in white on red scroll with gold trim that appears below the eagle. Colonel John H. Fraine’s resolution to make this the official North Dakota State Flag was adopted by the Legislative Assembly on March 3, 1911.
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Ohio
The Ohio State Flag has a unique design among the state flags of the United States. Described as a pennant, the Ohio burgee is properly called a swallowtail design. Besides their obvious similarity to the United States Flag, the red, white, and blue of the Ohio flag have their own meaning. The union, or large blue triangle, represents Ohio's hills and valleys and the stripes represent roads and waterways. The thirteen stars grouped about the circle represent the original states of the union; the four stars at the peak of the triangle plus the original thirteen make seventeen, symbolizing that Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the union. The white circle with its red center not only represents the "O" in Ohio, but also brings to mind Ohio's famous nickname, The Buckeye State.
The Ohio State Flag was designed by John Eisemann and was adopted in 1902.
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Oklahoma
The Oklahoma State Flag honors more than 60 groups of Native Americans and their ancestors, due to Oklahoma’s large Native American population. The blue field is the same color as the flag carried by Choctaw soldiers during the Civil War. The center shield is the battle shield of an Osage Warrior. It is made of buffalo hide and decorated with seven eagle feathers hanging from the lower edge. Two symbols of peace and unity lie across the shield. One is the calumet, or peace pipe, and the other is an olive branch. The white crosses on the shield are Native American signs for stars, representing high ideals. The Oklahoma State Flag was officially adopted by the State Legislature on April 2, 1925. The word Oklahoma was added in white letters beneath the shield in 1941. The background color of the flag was standardized by the legislature in 1988.
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Oregon
The Oregon State Flag is the only state flag with different pictures on each side. Both sides have a field of navy blue with a design in gold. The front picture includes a heart shaped shield with an eagle on top, surrounded by thirty-three stars, signifying Oregon’s status as the 33 rd state in the Union. The scene on the shield shows the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, mountains, forests and a covered wagon. A plow, a sheaf of wheat, and a pickax represent the early farming and mining industries. Two ships are shown; a British Man-of-War and an American trade vessel. The departing British ship and arriving American ship are said to represent that claim to the land was laid by both Great Britain and The United States at the same time. It is also said that the tack of the two ships represents the ascendance of American power in the western hemisphere. On a banner are the words The Union, representing support for the United States. Finally, the flag is emblazoned with the words State of Oregon above the picture and the date of statehood, 1859, below. On the reverse side of the flag appears a beaver, the state animal.
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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's State Flag is composed of a blue field on which is embroidered the State Coat of Arms. The Pennsylvania Coat of Arms incorporates the crest from the Pennsylvania State Seal held up between horses and the state’s motto, Virtue, Liberty, and Independence, which appears below the crest in a red banner. The central image on the state seal is a crest containing a ship under full sail, a plow, and three sheaves of wheat. These symbols represent the importance of commerce, labor, perseverance, and agriculture to the state's economy. On the left side of the crest is a stalk of Indian corn and on the right side is an olive branch, representing the state's recognition of it's past and hopes for the future. Atop the shield an eagle proudly symbolizes the state's sovereignty. The first Pennsylvania State Flag bearing the State Coat of Arms was authorized by the General Assembly in 1799. An act of the General Assembly on June 13, 1907 standardized the flag and required that the blue field match the blue of Old Glory.
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Rhode Island
The State Flag of Rhode Island has a white field onto which the flag’s most prominent feature is placed, a ship’s anchor. The gold anchor dates back to 1647 and the Cromwellian Patent of 1643 when the Providence Plantations were established. Around the anchor is a circle of thirteen gold stars representing the thirteen original colonies and the fact that Rhode Island was the thirteenth state admitted to the Union. The state’s motto, Hope, is on a blue ribbon below the anchor. The colors, white and blue, were flown during the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War. The Rhode Island State Flag was officially adopted for use in 1879.
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South Carolina
The design of the South Carolina State Flag began in the fall of 1775 when Colonel William Moultrie was asked to design a flag for the use of South Carolina troops. He chose a blue for the field 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 was later added and centered on the blue field. The Palmetto, the South Carolina State Tree, had been attributed as instrumental in Colonel Moultrie's defense of Sullivan's Island against an attack by British warships in June, 1776. Cannonballs fired at the fort from the British ships could not destroy the walls of the fort which were built of Palmetto logs. Instead, the cannonballs simply sank into the soft, tough Palmetto wood. This design (that was formulated as the national banner when the state seceded from the union on December 20, 1860) is the same flag that today is South Carolina’s State Flag.
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South Dakota
On South Dakota’s State Flag, the State Seal of South Dakota is centered on a sky blue field. The seal is surrounded by the rays of the sun. Encircling the seal and the sun are the words, South Dakota and The Mount Rushmore State. On the state seal, the state's motto, Under God the People Rule, appears over the inner circle. Within the circle is a background of sky and hills with a river running through agricultural and industrial land. A smelting furnace is pictured which represents the mining industry. A steam ship travels up the river. A farmer plows a field while a herd of cattle graze in the distance. The outer circle of the seal bears the words State of South Dakota and Great Seal 1889.
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Tennessee
The Tennessee State Flag was designed by LeRoy Reeves of the Third Regiment, Tennessee Infantry. The three stars on the flag represent the three different geographical areas in Tennessee: mountains in the east, highlands in the middle, and lowlands in the west. On the flag these regions are bound together in an unbroken circle. The field is crimson with a blue background for the stars. The final blue strip relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when it is limp. The white edgings contrast more strongly the other colors. The colors themselves also hold special relevance. The color white symbolizes purity, the blue symbolizes the love that Tennesseans feel for their state, and the red symbolizes that in times of war and peace, Tennesseans are true-blooded Americans. This design for the Tennessee State Flag was officially adopted by the Tennessee State Legislature on April 17, 1905.
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Texas
The Texas State Flag in its current form was approved by the Texas Congress and Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar on January 25, 1839, almost six years before Texas became a state in 1845. In 1993, the statutes concerning the flag were revisited and the official description codifying the dimensions and layout was revised. They are as follows. “ The state flag consists of a rectangle with a width to length ratio of two to three containing: (1) a blue vertical stripe one-third the entire length of the flag wide, and two equal horizontal stripes, the upper stripe white, the lower red, each two-thirds the entire length of the flag long; and (2) a white, regular five-pointed star in the center of the blue stripe, oriented so that one point faces upward, and of such a size 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 colors of the Texas State Flag were also stipulated as being Old Glory Red and Old Glory Blue, the same colors found in the flag of the United States.
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Utah
On Utah’s State Flag, the state seal appears on a blue field encircled by a thin gold line. In the center of the seal is the state emblem, a beehive. Sego lilies, which are a symbol of peace grow on either side of the beehive. The state motto, Industry, is written over the beehive on the crest, and below the beehive is the word Utah. The national flag represents the United States and the eagle stands for protection in peace and war. The date 1847 represents the year that Brigham Young led a group of people to the Salt Lake Valley to reestablish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also known as the Mormons). The date 1896 represents the year that Utah was admitted to the Union. This flag became the official Utah State Flag when it was approved by the legislature in 1913.
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Vermont
The Vermont State Flag consists of the Vermont Coat of Arms on a deep blue field. On the coat of arms, pine boughs extend around a shield. Over the shield is a stag's head. On the crest of the shield, a tall pine tree, a cow, and sheaves of wheat are pictured, with the Green Mountains in the distance. The name Vermont and the state motto, Freedom and Unity, are displayed on a crimson banner beneath the crest. In 1919 the Vermont State Flag was authorized in its current form.
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Virginia
The State Flag of Virginia consists of the State Seal of Virginia on a deep blue field. Roman mythology defines the unique Great Seal of Virginia. The seal features the Roman goddess Virtus (or Virtue, representing Virginia) standing over a defeated opponent. Virtus holds a spear and a sheathed sword. She represents the virtues of heroism, righteousness, freedom, and valor. She stands in a classical victor's pose over a fallen tyrannical foe who holds a scourge and chain, and whose fallen crown lies on the ground nearby. The state's motto Sic Semper Tyrannis (Thus Always to Tyrants) appears at the bottom edge of the seal. The Virginia State Seal itself was adopted in 1776 and the Virginia State Flag layout was codified in 1950 and revised for the last time in 1966.
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Washington
Washington’s State Flag bears the state seal on a field of green. The Washington State Seal is composed of an image of President George Washington and the words “The Great Seal of the State of Washington 1889” in a yellow ring around the image. The Washington State Flag is the only state flag that is green and it is also the only state flag with a picture of a president. The official State Flag of Washington was adopted by the Washington State Legislature in 1923.
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West Virginia
The State Flag of West Virginia consists of the West Virginia Coat of Arms centered on a pure white field which is bordered in blue on all four sides. A large boulder sits in the center of the coat of arms, symbolizing strength, steadfastness, and stability. Etched in the stone is the date of West Virginia's admission to the Union, June 20, 1863. Two rifles lie crossed in front of the boulder and are draped with the Liberty Cap, signifying the state's willingness to defend itself in the name of Liberty. On one side of the boulder, a farmer stands with his ax and plow before a cornstalk, representing agriculture. On the other side, a miner has a pickax over his shoulder, and behind him there is an anvil and sledge hammer, representing industry. The state motto, Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers Are Always Free), is printed on a red ribbon below the farmer and the miner. Another red ribbon floats above the coat of arms with the words State of West Virginia written on it. Wreathed rhododendron, the state flower, is arranged below the coat of arms. The West Virginia State Flag was adopted in 1929.
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Wisconsin
The Wisconsin State Flag bears the Wisconsin Coat of Arms on a dark blue field. On the shield within the coat of arms are the images of a plow, a pick and shovel, an arm and hammer, and an anchor which represents the state’s main industries of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and navigation. Wisconsin's dedication to the Union is represented with a smaller shield of thirteen vertical stripes and the United States’ motto, E Pluribus Unum. The state's resources are represented by a full cornucopia and a pyramid of pig lead. On either side of the shield are a sailor and a yeoman, symbolizing the marine and land-based labor force. The Wisconsin state animal, the badger appears over the shield. The state's motto, Forward, is written on a white banner over these images. A law was passed in 1979 amending the flag, to add 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 coat of arms. The current design for the Wisconsin State Flag is that which was approved in 1979.
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Wyoming
The Wyoming State Flag consists of a white bison centered on a blue field bordered in white and red. The Wyoming State Seal is branded on the bison, which faces the staff. The woman on the seal represents the state motto, Equal Rights, and the two men represent cattle ranchers and miners. The words Livestock, Mines, Grains, and Oil represent Wyoming's wealth. The eagle and shield show support for the United States. The dates of 1869 and 1890 tell when Wyoming organized as a territory of the United States and when it became a state. The colors of the Wyoming State Flag are the same as those of the National Flag. The red border represents the Native Americans who knew and loved the country long before the settlers came and 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 adopted on January 13, 1917.
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