# Flag of Connecticut

The flag of the U.S. state of Connecticut is a white baroque shield with three grapevines, each bearing three bunches of purple grapes on a field of royal blue. The banner below the shield reads "Qui Transtulit Sustinet", Latin for "He who transplanted sustains", Connecticut's state motto. The flag dimensions are 5.5 feet (1.7 m) in length and 4.33 feet (1.32 m) in width.

## History

The first state flag was adopted during the American Civil War. The banner was described as: "The field of the flag adopted was a deep blue, and the three vines, which had been on the Connecticut flag from the outset, were on a groundwork of white." It's nicknamed was Blue Peter, and it was usually hanging in the halls of the Old State House.
In 1897 the Connecticut General Assembly approved a new flag after it was introduced by Governor Owen Vincent Coffin in 1895. The designs were submitted by Abby Day Slocomb, the regent of the Anna Warner Bailey chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The design comes from the seal of Saybrook Colony, designed by George Fenwick when it was established in 1639. That seal depicted 15 grapevines and a hand in the upper left corner with a scroll reading "Sustinet qui transtulit". When Connecticut Colony bought Saybrook in 1644, the seal transferred to Connecticut Colony. On October 25, 1711, the governor and legislature changed the seal. They reduced the number of grapevines from 15 to three, in order to represent the three oldest settlements (Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford) (or possibly the three separate settlements, Connecticut Colony, Saybrook Colony, and New Haven Colony, which had been absorbed into Connecticut by that time) and rearranged the wording and position of the motto.
As part of the United States Bicentennial in 1976, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art held a nationwide contest for new flags for American states, cities, and other entities. A panel of judges selected 25 of the best designs to be displayed at various exhibitions around the United States. Among the selected designs was a proposed flag for Connecticut, designed by Dr. Atle Grahl-Madsen. Although it was hoped that the winning designs might be considered for adoption by their respective entities, no flags from this contest were ever officially adopted.
In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. The survey ranked the Connecticut flag 50th out of 72.
* The naval Red Ensign of the former Kingdom of England from which the flags of New England are derived.
* The First Flag (and Ensign) of New England, used by merchant ships sailing out of New England ports.
* After the union of England and Scotland, some New England ensigns used the British Union Flag rather than the St George's Cross.
* The Flag of New England with St George's Cross removed.
* Flag flown during the Dominion of New England using the personal standard of Edmund Andros

## Flying the flag at half staff

Customarily, the flag of Connecticut is flown at half staff when the federal flag is, which may be ordered by the President or by the Governor. According to 2007-R-0624, only the governor of Connecticut may decide that the state flag should be flown at half staff, though the right is a power of office and not a law.
Typically, the state flag is flown at half staff upon the death of a Connecticut resident serving in the armed forces, upon the death of a former governor or serving member of the state legislature, or for an event of great sorrow for Connecticut.