#10 California
Now, this one does violate a lot of the principals of good flag design.
First of all, you probably want to avoid text. I mean, honestly, does the Tricolor say “France”? Does the Union Jack say “UK”? I don’t think so.
And look at that bear. That is way too detailed. Think stripes, stars, x’s, discs, crosses … Now, that’s the ticket.
All that said, this is still a classic. Maybe it’s the red stripe and star. I do think they really help out a lot. Maybe it’s all the history behind it, including the fact that California was indeed its own nation at one point. All in all, the thing is pretty distinctive.
#9 Hawaii
Here’s another violator.
So, first of all, what’s the Union Jack doing here? Hawaii was never part of the British Empire.
Second, red and blue really don’t go together. There’s just not enough color contrast. That’s why you won’t see that combination in heraldry, or all that often on flags (okay, Russia, we’ll make an exception for you).
So, where did this all come from? Turns out the Kingdom of Hawaii was being hassled by both the UK and the US during the 19th Century. This is their attempt to make both of them happy.
I guess I like this one just because it’s so darn different. (I think it also may bring back fond memories of vacations there as well.)
#8 Wyoming
Now, here’s one that’s really not all that different, but does have some wrinkles that manage to make it really unique.
On the “same” side, you’ve got a dark blue background and a seal. There are about 20 flags with just that and no more.
On the “different” side, we’ve got that great border. Not only is it practically unique (West Virginia has one too), but it’s a great way to add red and white to give you the complete red, white, and blue package.
Finally, I love the buffalo silhouette. What other state flag has anything like that?
#7 New Mexico
This one is a favorite with a lot of folks. In fact, it came in first in the North American Vexillological Association’s poll.
I certainly like it myself – the simplicity, the bold colors, the unique symbol – but I always thought that the symbol was a tad small, with the yellow almost overpowering. Here's my version:
That symbol by the way? It’s the sun – as interpreted by the Zia Indians.
#6 Rhode Island
I always thought this one had such a clean look. It’s pretty basic, but also quite distinctive – the white background, the square shape, the anchor, all those stars …
The 13 stars represent the fact that Lil’ Rhodey was the 13th state to ratify the Constitution and, thus, the last of the original 13 states. The anchor somehow or other represents “hope.”
This baby actually dates all the way back to 1643. It’s typically shown with a nice border of golden fringe, which adds an extra classy little touch.
#5 Alabama
Another vote for simplicity. In fact, it’s hard to get any more simple than this. In fact, it’s hard to believe that some country didn’t snatch this one up long ago.
How did this one end up in good ol’ Alabamy? Turns out it may have been patterned after the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia (basically, Robert E. Lee’s troops). This flag was basically the same as the Confederate battle flag, but with the red and blue reversed. The Florida flag is exactly the same as Alabama’s, but with the state seal added right at the center.
Whence all the X’s? One theory traces them back to the Cross of Burgundy, Spain’s military flag (and, thus, flown throughout most of the Southeast up to the 1800s). It’s basically this flag, but with a funky, jaggedy (in heraldry speak, “raguly”) kind of cross. Another theory traces it back to Scotland’s St. Andrew’s cross, a white X on a blue field (and, thus, dear to the heart of the many Scots-Irish who helped settle the Southeast).
#4 Ohio
And now for something completely different. And who would have thought that something like this would have originated in boring old Ohio?
This flag also probably dates back to the Civil War. It has the basic shape and colors of a cavalry guidon, the little pennant that some horsey guy carried on a little pole (the official term for that shape is a “burgee”). It’s the only non-rectangular state flag there is.
The red dot, by the way, is called an “annulus.” It’s supposed to represent the first letter in the state’s name as well as a buckeye. Hmm, not totally sure if I’m buyin’ it.
As you can imagine, it’s a bear to fold. Here’s the official way to do it:
With the flag unfolded, fold the flag in half lengthwise so that the points of the flag are aligned. Fold the flag in half lengthwise a second time to form a long strip with the red disc facing the ground. Next, fold the pointed end back onto itself to form a rectangle. These steps entail three folds.
Starting on the end formed by the fold of the pointed end back onto itself, fold two inches of the flag onto itself for a flag with a three-foot hoist and a five-foot fly, or another appropriate width of fold for a flag of a different size. Repeat the folds a total of fourteen times, alternating the folds in a fan-like manner.
The result is a total of seventeen folds symbolizing that Ohio was the seventeenth state admitted to the Union. Finally, neatly and snugly wrap the remaining length of flag around the fan-folds to form a compact rectangle.
Starting on the end formed by the fold of the pointed end back onto itself, fold two inches of the flag onto itself for a flag with a three-foot hoist and a five-foot fly, or another appropriate width of fold for a flag of a different size. Repeat the folds a total of fourteen times, alternating the folds in a fan-like manner.
The result is a total of seventeen folds symbolizing that Ohio was the seventeenth state admitted to the Union. Finally, neatly and snugly wrap the remaining length of flag around the fan-folds to form a compact rectangle.
Huh?
#3 S Carolina
This one is just so distinctive. At the same time, it also doesn’t really violate any of the principles of good flag design either – simple colors with good color contrast, distinctive shapes, not too busy.
Part of the flag – the crescent – dates back to the Revolution. The palmetto tree (SC is the “Palmetto State”) was added right before the Civil War.
Interestingly, the moon may have not originally been a moon, but a gorget. And that is a crescent-shaped steel collar that soldiers of the Revolutionary era wore around their necks to protect them. Just to make it even more interesting, though, South Carolina’s soldiers actually wore a little gorget as a badge on their hats. You can figure it all out right here.
#2 Texas
Texans can be a bit much sometimes, but they sure do have an awesome flag. In fact, I think this would make a lot better flag than our national flag, which overdoes it a little on the number of stripes and definitely on the number of stars. The Texas flag is kinda like the absolute quintessence of Old Glory.
You probably realize that this was once a national flag, like California’s. It actually dates all the way back to 1838, though it wasn’t made official until 1933. It is, of course, the source of Texas’s nickname, the “Lone Star State.”
By the way, this one came in second in that North American Vexillological Association poll.
#1 Maryland
Our only truly heraldic flag. It’s basically the coat of arms of George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, the state’s founder. The black and gold represent the Calvert family. The red and white represent the Crosslands, his mother’s family. She was an heiress, so George got to combine the two.
Here’s the full description of all that in the very specific language of heraldry:
Quarterly, 1st and 4th, paly of six or and sable, a bend counterchanged; 2nd and 3rd, quarterly argent and gules, a cross bottony counterchanged
Why do I like this one so much? Basically, heraldry is the science of making all this shield and seal and flag stuff look really classy. I see this flag as the opposite of all those terrible ones in next week’s post.
Fun fact … Did you know that there are only four state flags that do not include blue? Even more interestingly, all four of those made this list.
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