Wednesday, July 13, 2016

The Flag Company Inc And Kansas Flag

By Patric Donalds


Kansas, situated on the American Great Plains, became the 34th state on January 29, 1861. Its path to statehood was long and bloody: After the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened the two territories to settlement and allowed the new settlers to determine whether the states would be admitted to the union as "free" or"slave".

Kansas has long been known as part of America's agricultural heartland and is home to the major U.S. military installation Fort Leavenworth. In 1954, it became a battleground of the civil rights movement when the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case was decided in the Supreme Court, ending the doctrine of "separate but equal" in public schools.

The state flag adopted on March 23, 1927, usually represented the state on official occasions. The Kansas Flag is as unique as the other state flags of the US, in terms of its description, symbolism and history. The bright Kansas Flag is complete with the state symbols that lend a great deal of value and dignity to it. The Kansas Flag has a navy blue background bearing the state seal, surrounded by 34 stars and a sunflower on a twisted bar of gold and blue. The state motto "Ad Astra per Aspera" meaning "To the Stars through Difficulties" is right above the stars. The state name “KANSAS” is written in bold golden letters below the seal.

Thus, in 1961, the state's name was added below the seal in large golden letters. Modifications have also been made in the seal design. In 1985, it was decided that the homesteader's cabin in the seal should no longer have smoke pouring from its chimney and that the herd of bison should comprise exactly five animals. The seal, dating from 1861, is very complex to manufacture if made in accordance with regulations.

The state crest which includes the blue and gold bar represents the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. This was when the United States obtained Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana from the French. The sunflower sitting on top of the bar is shown torn from its stem with some believing it exemplifies the fearlessness with which Kansas meets her problems and solves them. The sunflower is thought to represent open frankness. The state seal which is the most detailed part of the Kansas flag tells the historical story of Kansas itself. The thirty-four stars represent Kansas as the 34th state. Above the stars is the motto ‘Ad Astra per Aspera’ which is Latin for ‘to the stars through difficulties’.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior Kansas 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 Kansas flag for the future.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment