John Hammontree | jhammontree@al.com
The surprising history of each of the 50 state flags
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John Hammontree | jhammontree@al.com
Alabama
Year adopted: 1895
Origin: The flag, which features a crimson cross of St. Andrew atop a white background, was introduced by State Rep. John W. A. Sanford, Jr. who modeled the flag after the 60th Alabama Infantry Regiment's battle flag used during the Civil War.
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Alaska
Year adopted: 1927
Origin: The design, which features the Big Dipper and the North Star against a dark blue background, was created by Benny Benson a 13-year-old boy living in Seward. The design was selected from among roughly 700 entries in a 1927 contest held by the Alaska Department of the American Legion.
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Arizona
Year adopted: 1917
Origin: Arizona's flag references its history as a Spanish colony and as a mining location – the 13 rays of red and weld-yellow on the top half represent the 13 original American colonies, but the colors are borrowed from the Spanish flag. The copper star in the center represents the mining industry while the deep blue background represents the Colorado River. The flag is said to have been born out of necessity – when the Arizona National Guard's rifle unit competed in a 1910 event, the state lacked an official flag and the team created one. In 1917, the state voted to officially adopt the flag despite the fact that the governor refused to endorse it.
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T
Year adopted: 1924
Origin: When the Arkansas flag was first adopted in 1913 it was selected from a field of 65 contest entries. The original design, by Willie Hocker, had three stars instead of four. Those three stars represented the state's history as a part of Spain, France and the United States, as well as the fact that it was the third state formed out of the territory acquired during the Louisiana Purchase. In 1924, the state legislature added the fourth "lone" star to represent the state's time as a member of the Confederacy. The central diamond reflects the state's status as the only diamond-bearing state in the Union.
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California
Year adopted: 1911
Origin: California's flag has its own controversial history. It was originally the standard of the California Republic in 1846. A group of American settlers killed the native Spanish-speaking Californios and local Indian tribes in a revolt against the Mexican government (which controlled the state at the time). The short lived flag was revived in 1911 by Sen. James Holohan, a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, an organization comparable to the Sons of Confederate Veterans. It was adopted at a time when the state legislature's jingoistic anti-immigration tendencies were at a high.
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Year adopted: 1911
Origin: The Colorado flag was designed by Andrew Carlisle Johnson in 1911 and adopted by the Colorado General Assembly later that year. The blue stripes are meant to represent the skies, while the white stripe represents the snow-capped Rockies. The color of the C indicated the color of the earth, while the gold circle represents the state's sunshine. It's an attractive flag but doesn't carry a very interesting history.
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Connecticut
Year adopted: 1897
Origin: The design is based on the seal of the Saybrook Colony which settled the region in 1639. The three grapevines represent the three oldest colonies in the settlements in the state: Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford. The flag became the state's official banner in 1897, after it was introduced by Governor Owen Coffin in 1895.
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Z
Year adopted: 1913
Origin: At the center of the flag is a diamond which encompasses the state's coat of arms, adopted in 1777. The flag's colors are based on the uniform of George Washington and the coat of arms suggests the state's military, agriculture and sailing histories. Of note, a version of Delaware's banner was also used by the state during the Civil War. The flag was officially adopted in 1913 but bears the date of December 7, 1787, which represents the day that the state ratified the Constitution and became the first state to enter the Union.
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Florida
Year adopted: 1900 (slightly modified in 1985)
Origin: The flag is very similar to Alabama's – it includes a red St. Andrew 's cross on a white background – but also includes the Florida state seal. At one point the flag consisted of the state seal on a white background, but in the 1890s Governor Francis Fleming pushed for the addition of the cross so that the flag would not be confused with a white flag of surrender. There are some that argue Fleming chose the red cross, in part, to memorialize the confederacy. The flag was updated in 1985 to represent changes to the state seal.
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Georgia
Year adopted: 2003
Origin: From 1956 to 2001, the Georgia state flag prominently incorporated the Confederate battle flag. That flag was introduced by John Sammons Bell, an outspoken supporter of segregation, and approved by the Georgia General Assembly. In 2000, the state commissioned a review of the flag which determined that it had been passed during an "atmosphere of preserving segregation and resentment." In 2001, Governor Roy Barnes pushed a replacement flag through the General Assembly, the flag include small depictions of several of the state's past flags. However, in 2002, Sonny Perdue was elected governor with a pledge to let the state vote on a new flag. The current flag also has ties to the Confederacy. It is based on the Confederate First National flag rather than the battle flag.
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Hawaii
Year adopted: 1859
Origin: The only flag in the United States to incorporate Great Britain's Union Jack, the Hawaiian flag has been used throughout its history as a kingdom, a British protectorate, republic, an American territory and, ultimately, a state. The eight horizontal stripes represent the eight major islands. The flag was commissioned by King Kamehameha I in 1816 and was likely designed by a commander of the Royal Hawaiian Navy.
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Idaho
Year adopted: 1957
Origin: The Idaho state flag is simply the state seal set against a blue background, accompanied by a banner reading "State of Idaho." The seal was designed by Emma Edwards Green, making it the only state seal to be designed by a woman. It depicts a miner and a woman representing equality, liberty and justice. They stand in a background meant to represent the state's mining, forestry and farming history. The flag started out as a state military banner – the First Idaho Volunteer Infantry carried the flag in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.
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"Yb
Year adopted: 1915 (modified in 1969)
Origin: If possible, the Illinois state flag is actually less inspired than Idaho's. It also simply consists of the state seal – this time set against a white background. The story of the flag, however, is more interesting. The push for the flag came from Ella Park Lawrence during her time as state regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1914, she commissioned a contest to design a state flag (with the winner receiving a prize of $25), and the contest was judged by the Illinois Secretary of State, Lewis Stevenson.
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Indiana
Year adopted: 1917
Origin: The state was commissioned by the Indiana General Assembly in a 1916 resolution to commemorate the state's centennial anniversary. Once again, a contest was sponsored by the state chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The state received more than 200 submissions, with the winning entry designed by Paul Hadley. His design incorporates 19 stars, representing Indiana as the 19th state to enter the Union, and a gold torch representing liberty and enlightenment.
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"
Year adopted: 1921
Origin: The Iowa flag resembles the French flag by design – it is meant to reflect the state's history as part of the Louisiana territory. However, the prominent display of a bald eagle signifies that the state is American, through and through. The flag was commissioned to represent Iowa troops during World War I. Another flag designed by the Daughters of the American Revolution, this banner was created by Dixie Cornell Gebhardt and was first approved in 1917 by the Iowa State Council for Defense. It was officially adopted as the state flag in 1921.
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Kansas
Year adopted: 1927
Origin: The Kansas flag also prominently features the state seal, the state's name and (in a unique twist) a sunflower. The flag was first flown at Fort Riley in 1927 for the troops and Kansas National Guard. The 34 stars in the seal signify that Kansas was the 34th state admitted to the U.S.
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Year adopted: 1918
Origin: The Kentucky flag was designed by art teacher, Jesse Cox Burgess and includes the state seal and sprigs of goldenrod, the state flower. During the Civil War, the commonwealth actually flew both the Confederate flag and the Union flag throughout depending on location and the progression of conflict.
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Louisiana
Year adopted: 1912 (modified in 2010)
Origin: The Louisiana flag has significantly more pelicans than any other state. The flag, which depicts a mother pelican and three pelican chicks, also approximates the shape of a fleur-de-lis. The flag, adopted in 1912, was based on a design from 1800. In early iterations the mother pelican was depicted tearing into her own flesh in order to feed her chicks. The new model depicts three drops of blood feeding the chicks.
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Maine
Year adopted: 1909
Origin: Maine's flag also depicts the state's coat of arms but, interestingly, the state's flag law does not list any official colors for the coat of arms and, thus, the colors of the flag may vary by manufacturer. The flag was commissioned and adopted by the state legislature in 1909. The coat of arms depicts a pine tree, the North Star, a moose, the land and sea, and a farmer and seaman.
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Year adopted: 1904
Origin: Maryland's flag represents the heraldic banner of George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. Calvert sought the charter to settle the colony that would become Maryland (although he died a few weeks before the charter was sealed). Interestingly, the banner combines two coats of arms: the gold and black Calvert arms, red and white colored arms of the Crossland family, which belonged to Calvert's. During the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers adopted the Crossland arms while Union loyalists waved the Calvert arms. In the aftermath of the war, the two were combined and this flag first flew over in Baltimore in 1880 to represent the 150th anniversary of the city's founding. The state officially adopted the flag in 1904.
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Massachusetts
Year adopted: 1901 (modified in 1971)
Origin: The state flag of Massachusetts has been used in some fashion since the Revolutionary War but was officially adopted by the state in 1901. The flag features the state coat of arms (which for many years featured a pine tree rather than an Algonquin Indian). The right arm above the crest signifies that Massachusetts would rather lose its right arm than live under tyranny.
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2'!
Year adopted: 1911
Origin: Michigan's modern state flag does not differ substantially from their earliest state flag (aside from the fact that their first flag featured a portrait of Governor Steven Mason on the side opposite to the coat of arms). Michigan is also distinct for having three state mottos on their flag: "E Pluribus Unum," which means "Out of many, one;" "Tuebor," which means "I will defend;" and "Si Quæris Peninsulam Amœnam Circumspice," which means "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." Appropriately, the crest includes a graphic of a lake, a peninsula, a man, a bald eagle, an elk and a moose.
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Minnesota
Year adopted: 1957 (modified in 1983)
Origin: The origins of the Minnesota flag began at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The state adopted a flag designed embroidered by Pauline Gerhardin Fjelde which won a gold medal at the fair. That flag was similar to the modern flag but had white on one side and blue on the other, along with several stars and a red ribbon. The flag was simplified in 1957 to simply feature the state seal on a blue field (the redesign was intended to be a cost saving measure).
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Mississippi
Year adopted: 1894 (repealed in 1906 but continued to be used unofficially until being readopted in 2001)
Origin: Mississippi's flag has a long, controversial history. In 1865, following the conclusion of the Civil War, Mississippi revoked and repealed the "Magnolia Flag" which the state had officially adopted when entering the Confederacy. Thirty years later, the state voted to adopt a new flag which incorporated the Confederate battle flag in the upper left corner. In 1906, however, the Mississippi legislature actually repealed the laws that created the new state flag. However, that flag continued to be used unofficially by the state for the next century. In 2001, the state commissioned a new flag to be voted on the people of Mississippi. However, the voters rejected the new banner in favor of the old flag, which continued to incorporate the Confederate state flag. Currently, the Speaker of the State has called for the state to remove the Confederate iconography from their flag.
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2+,
Year adopted: 1913
Origin: Another flag which pays homage to the state's French beginnings, Missouri's flag features the state's crest over a red, white and blue background. The flag was designed by Mary Watkins Oliver, who like many of her fellow flag designers was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Oliver did her homework too, she reached out to several other states to determine how their flags were designed and adopted (clearly state seals were a trend at the time).
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Montana
Year adopted: 1905 (modified in 1985)
Origin: Considered by the North American Vexillological Association to be among the nation's worst, the Montana state flag prominently features the name of the state and the state seal, set against a blue background. The uninspired design was driven by Colonel Kessler, head of the First Montana Infantry, and adopted by the state legislature in 1905.
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5j
Year adopted: 1963
Origin: Voted the second worst flag in the nation by the North American Vexillological Association in 2003, the Nebraska flag may now be considered its worst (Georgia has changed their flag since 2003). The flag was designed in 1925 and features the state seal. It was not officially made the state flag, however, until 1957. In 2002, the state discussed commissioning a new flag but, as of now, the flag remains unchanged.
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Nevada
Year adopted: 1929 (modified in 1991)
Origin: Nevada's first flag was designed and adopted in 1905, and it was awesome. It simply said (in all caps) "SILVER, NEVADA, GOLD" and included several silver and gold stars. It was designed by the Governor, not your first grade class. In 1926, the state announced a contest to design a new flag with the winning banner coming from Louis Shellback III. The flag includes the state emblem in the upper left corner.
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New Hampshire
Year adopted: 1909 (modified in 1931)
Origin: New Hampshire, like so many other states, is represented by the state seal set against a blue background. The state seal is surrounded by laurel leaves and nine stars because New Hampshire was the ninth state to enter the Union. The seal features the frigate Raleigh one of the original 13 warships in the American navy, commissioned and built in New Hampshire.
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New Jersey
Year adopted: 1896
Origin: New Jersey's flag features the state seal set against a buff colored background – the color was inspired by George Washington and the colors uniforms worn by the New Jersey Continental Line during the Revolutionary War. The state seal was actually designed in 1777 by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere and an early version of the flag was carried by New Jersey regiments during the war. The state officially adopted the flag in 1896.
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New Mexico
Year adopted: 1925
Origin: In 1920, the Daughters of the American Revolution commissioned a contest to design a unique flag for the state. And they certainly succeeded. The striking flag is one of only four in the country to not include the color blue (Alabama, California and Maryland are the others). The winning design was created by archaeologist Dr. Harry Mera and consists of a red sun symbol of the Zia on a field of yellow. The flag was voted best in the nation by the North American Vexillological Association.
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New York
Year adopted: 1778 (modified in 1901)
Origin: New York's flag design is among the oldest in the nation, as the coat of arms was officially added to the flag in 1778 and the flag was used during the Revolutionary War. However, in 1901, the state voted to change the flag's background from buff colored to blue (apparently not realizing that this made their flag indistinguishable from so many other states).
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North Carolina
Year adopted: 1885
Origin: In 1775, North Carolina stated its independence from Great Britain in the Mecklenberg Declaration, that position was reiterated in 1776 through the Halifax Resolves. Though the two dates represented in the North Carolina flag harken back to its involvement in the American Revolution, the flag is also reflective of the state's secession. The flag bears strong resemblance to the state's flag during the Civil War and was designed by former Confederate soldier and Adjutant General, Johnston Jones.
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North Dakota
Year adopted: 1911 (modified in 1943)
Origin: The North Dakota flag is a version of a flag carried by North Dakota soldiers during the Philippine-American War. The flag was officially adopted in 1911; however, the background color was not specified. In 1943, the state remedied that situation by specifying a blue background (just like every other state).
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:
Year adopted: 1902
Origin: Ohio's flag is the only non-rectangular state flag in the country; the design is called a swallowtail or burgee-shaped flag and was designed in 1901 by John Eisenmann for the Pan-American Exposition. The "O" on the left hand side of the pennant represents the "O" in Ohio (clever, I know) and the 17 stars represent the state being the 17th to enter the nation.
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:IZ
Year adopted: 1925 (modified in 2006)
Origin: Oklahoma's first flag featured a red banner with the number 46 in the center (because it was the 46th state to enter the union). However, because the flag background was red and the color was increasingly associated with communists, the Daughters of the American Revolution sponsored a contest to select a new flag. The winning submission, designed by Louise Fluke included a traditional Osage Nation buffalo-skin shield and seven eagle feathers on a sky blue background. In 1941, "Oklahoma" was officially added to the flag, in order to combat illiteracy in the state.
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Oregon
Year adopted: 1925
Origin: In 1925, the Postmaster General of the United States requested that each state submit their flag to be grouped in a display (this is why so many flags originated in 1925, as you may have noticed). Oregon realized it did not have an official flag and state lawmakers commissioned a design. The flag was sewn by Marjorie Kennedy and Blanche Cox, employees of Meier and Frank, a department store. Oregon is the only flag in the country that currently has a two-sided flag – one side contains the state's name and seal, and the other side features a golden beaver (which is great).
(Reverse side pictured)
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Year adopted: 1799 (Standardized in 1907)
Origin: Pennsylvania's state flag was commissioned by the General Assembly in 1799 and consists of the state's coat of arms on a blue background.
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Rhode Island
Year adopted: 1897
Origin: The Rhode Island flag is modeled after the state seal which has included an anchor and "Hope" since as early as the 1640s. The 13 gold stars represent the original colonies and also Rhode Island's status as the 13th state to ratify the Constitution.
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South Carolina
Year adopted: 1861
Origin: The current flag of South Carolina has its origins in a flag designed by Colonel William Moultrie in 1775 to be used by South Carolina troops during the Revolutionary War. The flag was used during Moultrie's successful defense of Sullivan Island from British troops attempting to take Charleston. After the battle, the flag became the primary flag of the South Carolina militia. Of note, the current flag is the same banner that flew over the state during the Civil War. The Palmetto tree was added in 1861 in reference to the Palmetto trunk used in the defensive walls of the Sullivan Island fortress.
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South Dakota
Year adopted: 1992
Origin: The current flag of South Dakota has undergone relatively few changes from its original form that consisted of a sky blue field with a "blazing sun in gold" with the words "South Dakota" and "The Sunshine State" emblazoned above and below. The sun was exchanged for the state seal in 1963, and "The Sunshine State" replaced with "The Mount Rushmore State" in 1992 when the current flag was adopted.
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Tennessee
Year adopted: 1905
Origin: Tennessee's flag was designed by Colonel LeRoy Reeves of the Tennessee National Guard, and in 1905 replaced the former flag which consisted of three slanted tricolor bands. The three stars in the center of the flag represent the three "Grand Divisions" of the Volunteer state: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. The stated reason for the blue vertical bar at the right of the flag was to "relieve the sameness of the crimson field." However, some vexillologists have suggested links between Reeves' flag and the Confederate battle flag.
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Texas
Year adopted: 1933
Origin: The "Lone Star Flag" was the national flag of the Republic of Texas, and became the state flag when Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845. However, a legislative oversight resulted in there being no official state flag from 1879-1933 until the Texas Flag Code was passed in 1933. The popularity of the flag and its symbolism has given Texas the nickname of the Lone Star State.
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R
Year adopted: 1913 (modified in 2011)
Origin: The history of Utah's flags is a series of mistakes and responses. The original flag, designed in 1903, consisted of a white image of the state seal on a blue field. However, when the Sons and Daughters of Utah Pioneers ordered a custom copy of the flag for the battleship USS Utah, the flag arrived with the seal having been rendered in color with a gold circle around it. Rather than reorder the flag, the state legislature adopted the new design. In 2011, the legislature passed a resolution addressing a mistake that had originated in 1922 with the placement of the date 1847 but that had been subsequently replicated in all flags since the initial mistake.
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Vermont
Year adopted: 1923
Origin: Until 1804, Vermont used as its state flag the appropriately green flag of the Green Mountain Boys, the state's famed militia. From 1804 to 1923, the official state flags were two slightly varying version that bore strong resemblance to the United States flag. To rectify the confusion often caused by the similarity of the state flag to that of the U.S. flag, Vermont made the governor's flag containing the state coat of arms and motto against a blue field the official state flag in 1923.
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V*x
Year adopted: 1950
Origin: The flag of the Commonwealth of Virginia consists of the state seal against a blue field. The flag was originally adopted in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War, and was officially adopted as the state flag by the General Assembly in 1950. The seal, which is two-side with the obverse side used on the flag, was designed in 1776 following Virginia's formal declaration of independence from Great Britain.
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Washington
Year adopted: 1923
Origin: Washington consists of the state seal, which is pretty much just George Washington's face with "The Seal of the State of Washington 1889" around it (so it kind of looks like play money). The design dates back to a banner commissioned by the state's chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to be sent to Washington D.C. to be hung in the DAR Memorial Continental Hall. The flag was adopted as the official state flag in 1923.
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West Virginia
Year adopted: 1929
Origin: West Virginia officially broke away from Virginia in 1861. Virginia had seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy and West Virginians, in turn, seceded from Virginia to rejoin the United States. They adopted their own state seal and placed it against a white background to create their own battle flag. In 1907, the state officially created a flag that featured the battle flag on one side and the state flower on the other. However, by 1923 West Virginians realized a double-sided flag was too expensive and reverted back to their original design.
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Wisconsin
Year adopted: 1981
Origin: The Wisconsin state flag was first introduced in 1866 for use by military regiments from Wisconsin. In 1979, the flag was modified to add "WISCONSIN" and "1848" to the design already consisting of the state coat of arms in order to distinguish it from other state flags with a blue field. The design was formally adopted as the sole state flag in 1981.
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Wyoming
Year adopted: 1917
Origin: Wyoming's flag features a buffalo, which makes it a fun state to end on. The state flag of Wyomingoriginated from a contest in 1916 organized by the Wyoming Daughters of the American Revolution. Out of 37 entries, Verna Keays' buffalo design was chosen, and in 1917, it was officially adopted as the state flag. After the flag was adopted, DAR regent Grace Raymond Hebard suggested that the bison be turned to face the hoist of the flag, and subsequent reproductions of the flag have followed this change even though it was never formally adopted in the flag codes.
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