Puerto Rico Flag

The flag of Puerto Rico is one of 5 U.S. territory flags. The first Flag of Puerto Rico originated in 1892, but was not flown until March of 1897 during the Puerto Rican Independence movement. The revolt was against the rules that the Spanish had set in place for Puerto Rico. It was called the attempted coup of Yauco, where the Puerto Ricans attacked the barracks of the Spanish Civil Guard. In 1898 Puerto Rico was able to claim it’s independence from Spanish Rule when it joined the United States.

The original Puerto Rican flag had with 3 red stripes and 2 white stripes. The triangle had a light blue tone to it and a 5 point star in white.  The red stripes represented the blood from the warriors during the revolt. The white stripe represented victory and peace. The white star represented the Island of Puerto Rico. The blue triangle represented the sky and the coastal waters.

Puerto Rico on Independence Day

The only flags that were allowed to fly in Puerto Rico were the Spanish flag from 1492 until 1898 and the United States flag from 1898 to 1952. On June 10th 1948, a bill was signed to make displaying the Puerto Rican flag illegal. To display the Puerto Rican flag in public was considered a felony. The bill was known as La Ley de la Mordaza (The Gag law). The only flag that could be flown on the island was the United States flag.

In 1952, the Governor of Puerto Rico adopted the Puerto Rican flag and proclaimed it as the official flag. The triangle was changed to a dark blue. A variation of the Cuban flag, it represents the people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The flag of Puerto Rico symbolizes Protest, Defiance and Pride among the people of this Island. Puerto Ricans are very proud of their flag, this design is currently used today.

Joseph M Acaba was the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent to carry several flags into outer space as a symbol of his heritage aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on March 15 2009.

North Carolina Mountains

I spent my entire life in Oklahoma up until a year ago. I recently honored my home state by examining the details of the Oklahoma Flag and explaining its meaning to both myself and the state. By doing this I learned quite a bit about Oklahoma history and state pride. Since I have been in North Carolina I have spent many a weekend exploring the enchanting nature trails and driving through the winding roads. I realized very quickly that North Carolina was a place I could call home, but it was not until October that I fell in love with this unique state.  As many of you know, in the fall North Carolina’s trees undergo a magnificent transformation; the lush green leaves change to a sea of fiery colors ranging from bright yellow to deep red. Now that I have been here for nearly a year it is easier to call North Carolina my home. Since I did an examination of my old home’s flag I would like to take a look at the State Flag of North Carolina, my new home.

North Carolina State Flag

The North Carolina state flag actually looks nothing like the originally proposed design which was a blue field with a white “V” and encircling stars in the center with the words, “Sirgit astrum, May 20, 1775.”  This design was given to artist William Jarl Browne who created the design that very nearly resembles the current state flag design. A red, vertical bar or “field” on the left with a star in the center and the dates May 20, 1775 (which will be discussed below) and May 20, 1861 (the day North Carolina seceded from the union) encircling it. Then to the right, there are two horizontal stripes making up the “fly” of the flag, the top stripe blue and the bottom stripe white.   The current design has a blue field on the left with a white star in the center surrounded by “N” on the left and “C” on the right. Above the star there is a scroll with the date “May 20th 1775″ and below there is another scroll with the date “April 12th 1776″.  May 20, 1775 was the date of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence; this document closely resembles Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and was said to be adopted by the county of Mecklenburg as a means of claiming independence from Britain. April 12, 1776 was the date of the Halifax Resolves in which North Carolina approved a vote for independence in the Continental Congress. This was the first official action taken by a state toward independence as a nation.

North Carolina Beaches

It is important to note that, following the Civil War, North Carolina changed their flag to emphasize unity as a nation rather than unity as a state. Both of the dates currently on the North Carolina flag represent declarations of independence from Britain rather than independence from the Union as was demonstrated on the pre-Civil war North Carolina flag The current flag design also stresses the bold actions taken by North Carolina toward independence from Britain, showing both the state’s courage and commitment to unity.

Oklahoma State

When one thinks of Oklahoma, state pride is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. This is not surprising considering the state catchphrase is “We’re OK!” Not to mention the state is just north of one of the country’s proudest states, Texas. It is difficult to compete with Texas’s overwhelming enthusiasm with a motto like “We’re OK!” So it is not strange that, although I was born and raised in Oklahoma, I did not burst at the seams with state pride during my time there. But then something happened, I graduated from college and my husband was accepted to Duke in Durham, North Carolina. So with our two dogs, two chinchillas, four vehicles full of personal belongings and help from our family, we made the 22 hour trek to our new home on the east coast. It was at this time that I realized how much was unique to Oklahoma, and it was also at this time that I started to feel proud for my state. As I got settled into our new place here among the towering trees and hills, I found myself reminiscing about open plains, rolling thunderheads and lazy sunsets. I even found myself missing strange things like huddling in the centermost room of a house for tornado drills and running outside during severe weather warnings to watch the storm blow in from miles away.  So today, I would like to express my state pride for my former homeland; as homage to this often undervalued state, let us take a look at the state’s most obvious representation, the Oklahoma Flag.

Oklahoma State Flag

The current Oklahoma Flag is the result of a contest in 1925 to create a flag that showed the rich cultural diversity within Oklahoma. The winning design was created by Mrs. George Fluke, Jr.   Her Oklahoma Flag design celebrates numerous Native American tribes and seeks to express unity between the significant Native American population and the European settlers.  The background of the flag is a sky blue field, the same background used by Choctaw soldiers in the Civil War. The symbol in the center of the flag is an Osage warrior shield decorated with crosses, the Native American symbol for stars which represents high ideals. A peace pipe and an olive branch cross over the face of the shield; this combination of peaceful representations from the two cultures acts as a symbol of both harmony and distinctiveness.   The Oklahoma state Flag is a remarkable way for Oklahomans to embrace the short yet striking history of their state. It exudes pride in the state’s diversity and represents peace between two formerly clashing cultures. As I make my home in a new and strange place, it is comforting to remember my roots in Oklahoma, and it makes me proud to say, “We’re OK!”

Alabama State Flag

The Alabama state flag features a crimson St. Andrew’s cross on a white field, patterned after the Confederate Battle Flag, and adopted in 1895. The bars forming the cross must not be less than six inches broad and must extend diagonally across the flag from side to side. Flag was adopted in 1895.

Alaska State Flag

Alaska adopted the flag for official state use in 1959. The blue field represents the sky, the sea, and mountain lakes, as well as Alaska’s wildflowers. Emblazoned on the flag are eight gold stars: seven from the constellation Ursa Major, or the Big Dipper. The eighth being the North Star, representing the northern most state.

Alaska’s flag as designed in 1926 by a 13-year-old Native American boy, Bennie Benson, from the village of Chignik. Bennie received a 1,000-dollar scholarship and a watch for his winning entry in the flag design contest.

Arizona State Flag

The Arizona State flag features 13 rays of red and gold on the top half of the flag represent both the 13 original colonies of the Union, and the rays of the Western setting sun. Red and gold were also the colors carried by Coronado’s Spanish expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola in 1540. The bottom half of the flag has the same Liberty blue as the United States flag. Since Arizona was the largest producer of copper in the nation, a copper star was placed in the flag’s center.

Arkansas State Flag

This Arkansas state flag has a red background with a blue-bordered white diamond. The symbolism behind this design is quite complex. For example, the diamond represents Arkansas’ status as the only diamond bearing state in the union (although this is no longer true after diamonds were discovered in Montana and Colorado). There are 25 stars around the diamond border are because Arkansas was the 25th state to join the union. The star above the word Arkansas represents the Confederate States of America while the three stars below actually represent three different things. Arkansas has belonged to three nations (France, Spain and the United States), the Louisiana Purchase brought Arkansas into the U.S. in 1803 and Arkansas was the third state to form the Louisiana Purchase. The flag was created by Willie Kavanaugh Hocker in a 1912 contest.

California State Flag

Often called the “Bear flag”, the California flag was raised at Sonoma on June 14, 1846, by a group of American settlers in revolt against Mexican rule. The flag was designed by William Todd on a piece of new unbleached cotton. The star imitated the lone star of Texas. A grizzly bear represented the many bears seen in the state. The word, “California Republic” was placed beneath the star and bear. In 1911, Governor Hiram Johnson made the “Bear Flag” the official state flag.

Colorado State Flag

This Centennial State’s flag consists of three horizontal stripes – the top and bottom stripes are blue and the middle stripe is white. There is a gold disk with a red “C” around it; the disk is the same size as the middle stripe. The Colorado flag was designed in 1911 by Andrew Carlisle Johnson and adopted on June 5th.

The exact shade of the red and blue was chosen in 1929 – it is the same as the U.S. flag. The blue represents the skies, the gold – the sun, the white – the snowy mountains and the red – the earth.

Connecticut State Flag

Connecticut’s flag consists of an azure blue background with a white shield in the center; the banner under the shield translates to “He who transplanted, sustains,” which is the state motto. The shield has three grapevines on it – each holds three bunches of grapes. The flag was approved by the Connecticut Assembly in 1897. In the original seal, there were 15 grapevines; this number was reduced to three to represent the three original colonies of New Haven, Saybrook and Connecticut (Hartford).