State Flags-Part II

The Little Bird© A Twice-Weekly Newsletter For Curious Seniors Nancy A. Franks, Editor

Topic: State Flags - Part II

“Where’d you hear that?” “The Little Bird© told me!”

Arkansas Iowa Florida

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usflagstore.com)

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When the Pine Bluff, Arkansas It’s no coincidence that the flag of Iowa In 1985, revisions were made to the chapter of the Daughters of The resembles the flag of France. When seal that had appeared on the Florida American Revolution (DAR) wanted designing the flag, Dixie Cornell state flag since 1900. A palmetto tree to present a state flag to the newly Gebhardt wanted to honor the French replaced a cocoa tree. Mountains were commissioned USS Arkansas in 1911, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and the taken away to reflect the flat land of there was a big problem. The state state’s strong connection to France. the state. The headdress on the Native didn’t have an official flag. At the All of the land that would become the American woman was removed to urging of the DAR, the Secretary Of state of Iowa was sold to Thomas accurately depict Seminole traditions. State held a contest. The committee Jefferson by Napoleon during the The Florida flag is one of just three chose a design submitted by Louisiana Purchase. Dixie’s flag was flags that include the words, In God schoolteacher Willie Kavanaugh adopted in May 1917. The governor We Trust. The other two are the flags Hooker. On a rectangular field of red, called Dixie, “Iowa’s Betsy Ross”. of Georgia and Mississippi. Willie placed a large white diamond to represent Arkansas’s place as the Michigan Illinois

first state to mine diamonds. Because Arkansas was the 25th state admitted to the Union, she added 25 diamonds to the diamond’s blue band. Willie had three reasons for adding the three

(Photo Source: usflagstore.com) blue stars in the center – 1. to represent (Photo Source: usflagstore.com)

the three nations that had flown flags Do you speak Latin? There are nine The flag of Illinois features the state’s over the state - France, Spain, and the Latin words on the Michigan state flag official seal, similar to the seal of the United States, 2. to mark the date of - more than any other flag in the United States. A bald eagle perches the Louisiana purchase in 1803, and 3. United States. E Pluribus Unum, which on a rock bearing the years 1818 and to recognize that Arkansas was the means “out of many, one”, is the motto 1868. In the eagle’s talons is a shield third state created by the Louisiana of the United States adopted in 1776. containing thirteen stars and thirteen Purchase. The committee added Tuebor means “I will defend”. The stripes representing the thirteen “Arkansas” to Hooker’s flag and an official motto of Michigan, Si Quaeris original colonies. The banner in the additional blue star above the name to Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice, eagle’s beak includes the state motto, remind people that Arkansas was once means “If you seek a pleasant State Sovereignty, National Union. part of the Confederacy. The flag was peninsula, look about you.” adopted on February 26, 1913. North Carolina Montana New Jersey

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When North Carolina delegates The Montana state flag was Please don’t refer to the color of the voted in May 1861 to join the adopted in 1901. It featured the New Jersey state flag as yellow. Confederacy, they decided that their state seal on a dark blue The correct color name is “buff”. state needed an official flag. The background. In 1981, “Montana” People in New Jersey boast that group didn’t waste any time. The flag was added. In 1985, Helvetica Bold George Washington chose the below was adopted one month later. was designated as the official font state’s colors “buff and blue” when

when writing the state name. he was stationed there during the Revolutionary War. New Jersey’s agricultural tradition is celebrated

(Photo Source: en.wikipedia.com) Source: (Photo in the state’s coat of arms in the center of the flag. There are three

The flag that is flown today was plows in the blue shield. Ceres, the

adopted in 1872. Can you the notice Source: en.wikipedia.com) (Photo Goddess Of Agriculture, is holding the changes? a cornucopia bursting with food. It’s The state motto, Oroy plata, is no surprise that the state of New The size of the white star was found at the bottom of the state seal. Jersey earned the nickname, “The decreased so that the gilt letters N and That’s Spanish for gold and silver. C could be added on either side. The Garden State”. union was changed from red to blue, Texas

and the top bar changed from blue to

red.

May 20, 1861, the date that North Carolina succeeded was removed. In its place, April 12, 1776 was added –

Photo Source: en.wikipedia.com) Photo the date that North Carolina CzechRepublic

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authorized her delegates of the If “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, then Texas should feel very Continental Congress to vote for flattered. Many flags around the world are similar to Texas’s flag. Independence.

The date, May 20, 1775, is shown on

Bissau Bissau both flags. That is the date of the - Mecklenburg Declaration Of

Benin

Independence, the date that North Source: en.wikipedia.com) Photo Guinea

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Carolina is said to have declared its

independence.

In 2007, the General Assembly Of North Carolina adopted a salute to the

Demajagua

flag, “I salute the flag of North Madagascar

Photo Source: en.wikipedia.com) Photo

Photo Source: en.wikipedia.com) Photo Carolina and pledge to the Old North La

State love, loyalty, and faith.” Oklahoma Vermont Wisconsin

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Oklahoma’s flag reflects the fact that Washington’s state flag was once two-

the state is home to the largest Native The state flag that Vermont flies today sided. When it was adopted in 1863, American population in the country. was adopted on June 1, 1923. It features the blue flag featured the state’s coat The flag’s blue field matches the color Vermont’s coat of arms and the state motto of arms on the front, and the national of the flag carried by Choctaw soldiers on a blue field. A red banner shares the arms on the back. In 1919, the during the Civil War. In the center is state’s motto, Freedom And Unity. The Wisconsin arms was featured on both an Osage warrior’s buffalo hide shield flag was adopted June 1, 1923. Let’s look the front and the back. At the time, at about the flags that came before it. decorated with seven eagle feathers. many Wisconsin residents were Two symbols of peace have been The first flag of Vermont belonged to the concerned that their state flag superimposed over the shield - a Green Mountain Boys, the state’s militia blended in with all of the similar state peace pipe and an olive branch. The organization established in 1770. flags that had a blue field and their flag was adopted in 1925. In 1941, the state’s seal. It took a while for the name “Oklahoma” was added below change to be made, however. On May the shield. Many residents felt that it 14, 1980, the flag was modified to was not necessary. What do you include “Wisconsin” at the top. The

think? Source: en.wikipedia.com) (Photo year of admission to the Union, 1848, was added below the coat of arms. When the second flag of Vermont, the New York Don’t miss the next

United States had recently admitted its th issue of com) 17 state. They incorrectly anticipated The Little Bird©! that the U.S. flag would have 17 stars and XXX The Little Bird 17 stripes. They created that flag with gettysburgflag. “Vermont” embroidered on the top stripe. Vermont flew this flag from 1804 to 1837. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Vermont,

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flagpolesetc.com/blog/illinois-state-flag-history, https://kids.kiddle.co/Flag_and_seal_of_Illinois, New York’s state flag, adopted in www.sos.arkansas.gov/education/arkansas- 1778, had a buff background. history/history-of-the-flag/story-of-the-flag, encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/willie-

kavanaugh-hocker-2948,

(Photo Source: en.wikipedia.com) Source: (Photo en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Florida, usflags.design/florida, The third flag was created to match the 13 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Michigan, stripes on the U.S. flag. In the blue canton www.mlive.com/entertainment/2017/07/the_5_m (Photo Source: en.wikipedia.com) Source: (Photo was a large white star containing part of ost_ridiculous_things_a.html, now.uiowa.edu/2012/09/trail-history, the coat of arms. The number of points on en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Cornell_Gebhardt, In 1901, New York legislature voted the star was not specified so it often varied now.uiowa.edu/2012/09/trail-history, www.usflagsupply.com/u.s.-state-flag- to change the background to dark from 5-points to 8-points. This flag flew history/oklahomas-flag-history, from 1837 to 1923. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_North_Carolina, blue. Over a century later, in April www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/nc_flag.htm, 2020, the legislature voted to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_New_Yor k,

include the words E Pluribus Unum, montanakids.com/facts_and_figures/state_symbols /State_Flag, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Texas, which means “out of many, one”. E www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Wisconsin, Pluribus Unum appears under https://bestlifeonline.com/state-flag-facts, hwww.allstarflags.com/facts/state-flag- Excelsior, which is the Latin word en.wikipedia.com) Source: (Photo descriptions

for “Higher”.