Sunday, December 18, 2016

Illinois Flag History Today

By Alisa Right


Before Illinois became a State, it was known as the Illinois Territory. In early 1818, the General Assembly of the Illinois Territory sent a petition to the United States Congress asking to be admitted into the Union. Part of the process for being admitted as a State was for Illinois to adopt its own constitution.

By 900 AD, Middle Mississippi Indians, who succeeded the Woodland Indians, built large earthen mounds and developed complex urban areas. These cities disappeared possibly because of overpopulation, disease, and exhaustion of resources. The descendants of the Mississippians were the Illiniwek tribes of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. After years of losing land and wars to other Indian groups and European colonists, the Illiniwek were moved to a Kansas reservation.

The French controlled areas along the Mississippi River valley in the American Bottoms between Cahokia and Kaskaskia. Their occupation, from about 1675 to 1763, left few lasting marks, as did the ineffective British rule. European control was ended by the U.S. militia of George Rogers Clark in 1778, whereupon Virginia claimed Illinois as within its territory.

There had been 2 state flags for Illinois so far. The initial design of the Illinois Flag was assigned in 1915, as a result of the state banner designing campaign by Mrs. Ella Park Lawrence. Next in 1868, the ribbon was modified to give more prominence to the National Union, than State Sovereignty. The final modification of the Illinois Flag was done in 1970 when the state name was introduced.

Beneath the seal, the name of the state, Illinois, scripted in the Flag of Illinois . The seal bears the picture of a bald eagle, fastening with its paws, a shield with 13 stripes and stars each. The hawk is additionally appeared to be getting a handle on in its mouth a red lace, with the state motto, "State Sovereignty, National Union." The stone on which the bird is mounted shows the years 1868 and 1818.

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




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