US Flags:Part 1

This page is all about the flags of each of America's 50 states as well as historical flags as well. This will also tell some of the details on those flags and what those details mean. It'll also tell you the history behind some of these flags as well.

*Note:*The states listed will in order of union admission.

## Delaware

First adopted in 1913, the flag of Delaware has some very distinct details on it.

1. The 2 men on each side of the State seal are a farmer (left) and a soldier (right) symbolizing the state's agriculture and military.

2. The State's Coat of Arms has 3  specific details. On the bottom, is an Ox (symbolizing the state's livestock) behind the Ox is beach sand and above that is the Atlantic ocean (symbolizing Delaware's coastline) and on the top is a sheave of wheat and an ear of corn (both symbolzing the state's crops). Above the Coat of Arms is a ship (symbolizing the state's shipping commerce)

3. Below the Seal is a saying which says *"Liberty and Independence"*

4. On the bottom of the Flag is the date when Delaware became a state.

## Pennsylvania

Adopted by Pennsylvania in 1907, it's flag has also a lot of details inside it.

1. On each side of Pennsylvania's Coat of Arms are 2 Horses (which symbolize the state's predominance of Horses).

2. The State's Coat of Arms also has 3 different pictures. Though both the bottom and the middle of the COA represent the state;s agriculture (Sheaves of Wheat on the bottom and an old plow in the middle). On the top is a ship on the water (which symbolizes the state's shipping commerce thanks in part to the Delaware River.)

3. Above the state's COA is a Boald Eagle (The US' national bird)

4. Below the COA are lines which read *"Virtue, Liberty and Independence"*

## New Jersey

One of the oldest state flags in the union (adopted in 1896), the Flag of New Jersey is also one of those states that has it's Coat of Arms on it.

1. On each side of the COA are 2 women. The one on the left is Liberty and she holds a stick with the hat of liberty on the top end. The one on the right is named Ceres, and she is holding a Cornicopia on her left side which means prosperity.

2. Inside New Jersey's Coat of arms is just a basic blue colored background with 3 old plows in it (symbolizing the state's agriculture, and which will give New Jersey's Nickname: *The Garden State*).

3. Above the COA is what looks like a diving helmet. Now this could symbolize New Jersey's 141 miles of coastline as well as it's shipping and fishing interests. Above the Diving Helmet is a Horse's head (symbolizing the Horses in the state).

4 Below the COA is another group of sayings. This time it is *"Liberty and Prosperity"* with the year 1776 in the middle which symbolizes (of course) the year the USA was created.

## Georgia

Throughout the state's history, Georgia has went through the most flags of any state in the USA, 8 as a matter of fact.

The first flag (which was unofficial) was made before 1879. It had a dark blue background and had the state's COA.

1. On that COA, it had a saying that goes across what looks like an old greek pillar doorway. It says "*Wisdom, Jusice, Moderation)* with a colonial man standing inside. The top says "*Constitution".*

In 1879, Georgia adopted this flag. Gone is the state's COA, but the dark blue background remains (albeit confined on the left side of the flag).

1. The flag bears a striking resemblence of the original flag of the Confederacy (which wasn't always the battle flag of Northern Virginia). The red and white stripes on the right side is a reference to the Confederacy as well as the state's time with the CSA.

Georgia had updated the flag in 1902, only this time it brought back the state's COA, and for the next 54 years, they would update the flag by putting a different design for the COA and other things like that (such as putting the state's name below the COA).

In 1956, Georgia changed the flag again, slightly modifiying the design of the COA, and even replacing the CSA stripes with the battle flag of Northern Virginia.

In 2001 and in a rush to replace the 1956 flag as it was deemed too controversial. The state decided to use this flag, which had a bigger design of the state's COA with Georgia's past flags on the bottom and 13 stars surrounding the state's COA (symbolizing the original 13 colonies). But the flag was deemed too unpopular for the residents fo Georgia, and wanted a brand new one.

In 2003, Georgia got itself a new flag (which is still in use today). In which is better resembles the original CSA flag.

## Connecticut

Adopted in 1897, the flag of Connecticut has only 2 details.

1. There is a shield which has 3 Grape Vines, which symbolize 2 things: 1. The state's best commodity which is wine, and 2. The 3 oldest settlements in Connecticut (Hartford, Windsor and Wethersfield).

2. Below the shield is latin logo which translates as *"He who transplants will sustain"*.

## Massachusetts

Massachusetts has went through 2 flags in it's history.

Before 1971, Massachusetts used this flag as it's state flag which is a pine tree (which is s ymbol of not just New England but also the New England Navy before the USA was born) inside a blue shield-like shape.

In 1971, Massachusetts has updated it's flag, they replaced the pine tree with some other details. making it resemble the old flag of the Massachusetts Commonwealth. But the pre-1971 flag is sometimes used as a reverse side of the current flag.

1. A Native American replaces the pine Tree from the pre-1971 flag (the Native American symbolizses the Native Americans that lived in Massachusetts when the first British settlers came to America).

2. Above the Native American is an arm holding a sword (symbolzing Massachusetts' history of violence as it saw the *Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party* as well as the first shots of the American Revolution)

3. Below the Native American is latin logo which translates as *By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.*

## Maryland

Adopted by maryland in 1904, this flag is one of the more distinctive looking flags in the eastern states.

1. The top left and bottom right corners of the flag are actually the COA of the first British settler in Maryland: Goerge Calvert.

2. The Top right and bottom left corners of the flag are the "Crossland" COA which is a reference to another British family and sailed to Maryland: The Crosslands.

There were secession movements in Maryland during the Civil War, had Maryland seceded to the Confederacy it would've used the Crossland Flag as it was the flag of the secession movement.

## South Carolina

South Carolina has \*the\* oldest state flag in the union. The State has always been associated with a crescent Moon symbol. In 1775, South Carolina used this flag as they were fighting the British during the dawn of the American Revolution and it has a Crescent Moon symbol with the word "Liberty" on it.

Just before the Civil War, South Carolina had changed it's flag slightly putting a white oval shape in the middle with a Palmetto Tree in it. The Palmetto Tree is a symbol of why South carolina won a bettle over the British, it is because Palmetto wood is so flexible it deflected British Cannon Balls. But the flag was only flown for 2 days, until it was replaced.

This flag was designed to make the Palmetto Tree the same color as the Crescent Moon.

But as South Carolina seceeded from the Union and created the Confederacy, there were ideas to change the flag to resemble the CSA flag (though it looks more like the battle flag of Northern Virginia), though this is one of the few designs, but was never officially used.

## New Hampshire

Adopted in 1931, New Hampshire uses the state's seal.

1. The State's seal has a ship in it (despite it having just over 50 miles of coastline) with Olive branches surrounding it. On the inner rim says *The Seal of the State of New Hampshire* with the year 1776 on it.

2. Outside the state's seal are Olive Branches and 9 stars (symbolizing it being the 9th state).

## Virginia

This is the Pre-1950 flag and adopted in 1861. The Flag of Virginia is quite unique, and the reason for that is that the symbol in the middle (possibly the State's Seal) is a reference to the Romans.

1. The Symbol has a Roman solider standing on top of a king (who he defeated, obviously) with the state's name above them.

2. There is Latin logo below the Roman solider and the king which translates roughly: *Thus Always to Tyrants.*

The flag was updated in 1950, where the Roman Soldier now just wears a Toga instead of Armor and the King is lying still on the ground.

## New York

New York adopted this flag in 1788. New York's flag uses it's Coat of Arms (COA) which bears a striking resemblence to New Jersey's, but there are some differences.

1. Like New Jersey, there are 2 women surrounding the state's COA. Like New Jersey, the woman on the left is Liberty. The woman on the right is Justice, she wears a blindfold (resembling blind justice) and she holds a Law Bar weight in her left hand and a sword in her right hand.

2. The state's COA has water with 2 ships with some landmass in the foreground as well as a mountain in the background. They represent the state's natural beauty (the water is supposed to be the hudson rivver, but it can also be the other rivers and lakes in the state), the ships symbolizes the state's shipping interests. Above the COA is the Planet Earth and above that is a bird of some kind.

3. The wrod below the COA is "Excelsior" which is a simple, meaningless saying.

Because the first flag looks very similar to New Jersey's flag, it was changed to differentiate it in 1901, so the pale yellow background was changed to blue.

## North Carolina

Adopted in 1861. The Flag of North Carolina has some very distinct details.

1. This date here is when the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence took place.

2. This date is when North Carolina seceeded from the Union and joined the Confederacy.

In 1885, they changed the flag after the Civil War, What they did is rearrange some of the colors on the flag and give it new symbols and dates.

1. This date is when the Halifax Resolves took place, one of the bigger steps to the creation of the United States.

2. The N and the C are (obviously) the abbreviation of North Carolina.

The flag was slightly modified in 1991, making the symbols and letters on the flag bigger.

## Rhode Island

Adopted in 1882, the flag of Rhode Island is one of the more distinctive flag used by the original 13 states.

1. There are 13 stars which not only symbolize the original 13 colonies but also for Rhode Island being the 13th state.

2. In the middle is an Anchor (which symbolizes the great shipping commerce of the state)

In 1897, Rhode Island modified it's flag to be smaller and have lighter colors. They even put the word "Hope" below the Anchor.

That will be all for this part, there is more great stuff about our state flags. You can go to the link below to proceed.

US Flags:Part 2