Flag of Wisconsin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flag of Wisconsin

The flag of Wisconsin consists of the Wisconsin state coat of arms on a dark blue background.

The flag was first designed in 1863 at the request of Civil War regiments who wanted an official flag to fly during the war on the battlefield. The flag was later revised several times to add more distinctive features. The current flag was adopted in 1913, and the name "Wisconsin" and the date of statehood, "1848," were added in 1979, as many believed the old design was too similar to that of the flag of the State of New York.

The flag includes the Coat of Arms, also on Wisconsin's Great Seal, which represents many of Wisconsin's valued natural resources and the contributions of early pioneers to the state's development. The supporters are depicted as a sailor and a miner, which symbolize the type of work that people did in 1863 at the time the flag was made. The tools of the important trades of the times lie within the shield: the symbols for agriculture (plow), mining (pick and shovel), manufacturing (arm and hammer), and navigation (anchor). The badger, which is the state animal, sits above the shield. It represents the name given to the lead miners. The banner reads "Forward," the state's motto. Reflecting Wisconsin's continuous drive to be a national leader, the state adopted "Forward" as the official state motto in 1851. At the base of the shield, is a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, standing for prosperity and abundance, while a pyramid of 13 lead ingots represents mineral wealth and the 13 original U.S. states. In the center lies the U.S. coat of arms symbolizing Wisconsin’s loyalty to the Union.