Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Indiana Flag And Its History

By Bernard Slow


The first European to explore Indiana was French explorer Robert de La Salle in 1679. Many French settlers came down from Canada to trade for furs with the local Native American tribes. The first trading post was established in 1702. In 1715, the French built Fort Miami which would later become Fort Wayne. Later, British colonists arrived in the area and began to vie for control of the fur trade.

Indiana sits, as its motto claims, at “the crossroads of America.” It borders Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan to the north, Ohio to the east, Kentucky to the south, and Illinois to the west, making it an integral part of the American Midwest. Except for Hawaii, Indiana is the smallest state west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Early Indiana settlers had a great concern to preserve religious freedom, and many denominations have been cultivated here and contribute much to the makeup of Indiana life. Today, over 7000 churches can be identified serving about half of the current population.

The state banner was adopted by the 1917 Indiana General Assembly as part of the celebration of the state's 1916 centennial, after a competition sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The prize-winning design was submitted by Paul Hadley of Mooresville, Indiana, a respected Hoosier artist. The torch in the center stands for liberty and enlightenment; the rays represent their far-reaching influence. The official description in the Indiana Code explains the rest of the symbolism.

The torch is a symbol of liberty and enlightenment; the rays represent their far-reaching influence. Thirteen stars in the outer circle symbolize the original thirteen states; the inner semi-circle of five stars represents the next five states to join the Union, and the large star above the torch is a symbol of Indiana.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior Indiana flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Indiana flag for the future.




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