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The Symbolism of Flags

On June 14, 1777, the United States approved the design for its first national flag. In 1949, Congress declared June 14 National Flag Day. Though most know of the symbolism of the stars and stripes, there are many other flags you may have seen flying and wondered about how they came into being. Today we are going to share the history behind four flags that may or may not be familiar to you.

The Juneteenth flag

June 19 honors Juneteenth, the anniversary of the date June 19, 1865, when the last state in the Union agreed to end slavery. Texas was the final state to comply with the Emancipation Proclamation which had been issued by Abraham Lincoln on June 19, 1863, two years prior. Juneteenth became a federal holiday just last year in 2021.

The star on the flag represents Texas (known as The Lone Star State), the last state where legal slavery was ended. The star also represents the freedom of African Americans in all 50 states.

The burst around the star is inspired by an astronomical nova, or a new star, representing a new beginning for formerly-enslaved Black people.

The red, white, and blue colors in the flag represent the American flag. The colors serve as a reminder that slaves and their descendants were and are Americans, and even though Black people are still fighting for equality and justice, the colors remind us that we have an obligation to live up to the American ideal of liberty and justice for all.

The Juneteenth flag was designed by Ben Haith in 1997.

The Pride flag

The original Pride flag, created in the late 1970s to celebrate gay pride, featured rainbow stripes with specific meanings. Though the flag has been through a number of iterations and continues to evolve, the six-stripe rainbow flag is still the most recognizable.

In 2017, black and brown stripes were added, representing Diversity and Inclusivity, respectively.

The Pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978.

The Gadsden flag

This flag, which features a coiled rattlesnake with the words, “DONT TREAD ON ME,” has become controversial in some circles but the original flag and its symbolism actually pre-date the U.S. national flag. The Gadsden flag was designed in 1775, during the American Revolution when the rattlesnake was an immensely popular symbol of America. It could be found throughout the 13 colonies on everything from buttons and badges to paper money and flags. 

The Gadsden flag was designed by Christopher Gadsden in 1775.

It was recognizable as the American timber rattlesnake, coiled into an attack position with 13 rattles on its tail. It was also used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag.

The flag was meant to act as a warning to Great Britain that the colonies would not be coerced by the British, and would remain vigilant in defending its fledgling union, ready to strike if stepped on.

The Ohio flag

Called the Ohio Burgee (a burgee is a triangular flag), Ohio’s state flag features a triangular swallowtail, the only non-rectangular U.S. state flag. 

The 13 stars grouped about the circle represent the original 13 states of the union and the four stars at the tip of the triangle symbolize Ohio being the 17th state admitted to the union. The prominent red and white circles in the flag’s triangular canton are suggestive of the “O” for Ohio. Modern interpretations point out the “O’s” resemblance to the buckeye, since Ohio is known as The Buckeye State. 

Ohio has adopted an official salute to the flag and an official folding procedure with 17 folds.

The Ohio Burgee was designed by John Eisenmann in 1901.

There is a deep history in flags and their symbolism, and it would take us much longer to dive deeper into their many meanings, but we hope you learned something new, and that you enjoyed hearing about and seeing a few different types of flags in honor of Flag Day. 

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