Thursday, July 28, 2016

Wisconsin State Flag History Today

By Ronald Nills


The flag was adopted in 1863. The current flag dates from May 1, 1981, when Wisconsin and 1848 were added to it. Wisconsin is the 30th state of the union, gaining statehood on May 29, 1848.

In the years leading up to the Civil War,Wisconsin was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, with many slaves passing through the state on their way to freedom in Canada.

In 1863 Wisconsin had not yet adopted an official State flag and the Civil War regiments in the field were requesting an official banner to fly. The legislature formed a five-member joint select committee to respond to these requests and, as a result, 1863, Joint Resolution No. 4 was adopted. This resolution essentially adopted a design that was already in use by the Wisconsin regimental troops.

The plough represents agriculture, the pick and shovel represent mining, the arm and hammer stand for manufacturing and the anchor symbolizes navigation. In the middle of the shield, there is a belt circling the United States shield. The national motto: E Pluribus Unum, which means 'From Many, One', is on the belt. This refers to the formation of the Union of many states.

A miner and sailor serve as supporters to the shield, above which appears a crest honoring “the Badger State,” a nickname adopted because early miners in Wisconsin either lived in mine shafts or dug burrowlike huts resembling badger holes. Immediately above the badger crest is a scroll with the state motto, “Forward.” Below the shield is a cornucopia and a pyramid of triangles representing ingots of lead.

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




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment