Friday, July 15, 2016

North Dakota State Flag History

By John Smith


The North Dakota flag's design is very similar to the unit banner carried by North Dakota's troops in the Philippine-American War in 1899. In 1953, a bill was introduced to change the state flag because it too closely resembled the United States coat-of-arms and was not particularly symbolic of the state itself.

The North Dakota Flag was adopted on 3rd March 1911 by the state Legislative Assembly. According to the history of the North Dakota Flag, a resolution for the adoption of the new North Dakota State Flag was introduced to the Assembly by Colonel John H. Fraine on 21st January 1911.

The state flag conforms to the color, design, and size of the regimental flag that was carried by North Dakota Infantry in the Spanish-American War in 1898 and Philippine Island Insurrection in 1899 (the only difference are the words "North Dakota" on the scroll below the eagle).

As you can probably tell, the North Dakota flag pays homage to the Great Seal of the United States by containing similar motifs. Just like the Great Seal, North Dakota's eagle clutches an olive branch, meaning peace, and a bundle of arrows, showing war. The shield placed on the national bird's chest displays the thirteen red and white stripes that, more often than not, represent the thirteen colonies. That golden fan atop all of these symbols embodies the birth of a new nation while thirteen shining stars dance beneath.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior North Dakota 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 inferior to American-made North Dakota flags, but 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 North Dakota flag for the future.




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