Composition
The flag features a field of dark blue charged with state coat of arms, centered.
The word “Wisconsin” is inscribed above and the date ”1848” is inscribed below.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin flag was originally designed in 1863 for use during the Civil War. It wasn’t officially adopted by the state until 1913.
The flag featured the state coat of arms on a field of dark blue. Because many other state flags follow a similar design pattern, in 1979 Wisconsin added its name and the date “1848” in big white letters above and below the coat of arms.
This version of the flag was officially adopted May 1, 1981.
Iconography
sailor
labor on water
miner
labor on land
motto
leadership, progress
badger
state animal, regional fauna
motto
loyalty to the United States, Out of many, one
plow
agricultural tradition
pick & shovel
mining industry
arm & hammer
manufactoring industry
anchor
water navigation
cornucopia
farming, prosperity, abundance
lead
mineral resources, the original thirteen colonies
1848
the year Wisconsin gained statehood
Coat of Arms
The Wisconsin coat of arms was established in 1836. It has seen a few minor alterations, but has stayed mostly the same since.
Colors
The Wisconsin flag features a field of royal blue.
Wisconsin statute does not provide Cable or Pantone values for the colors of the flag.The hex values here are approximations.
Royal Blue
#002986
White
#ffffff
Gold
#ffcc18
Red
#f3334b
Brown
#753c28
Construction
The flag should have a proportion of 2:3.
The coat of arms should have a height 1/2 the width of the hoist. The text should measure 1/8 the width of the hoist and be placed midway between the coat of arms and the flag’s edge.
The flag can be optionally trimmed with yellow knotted fringe.
Previous iteration
The original version of the flag still featured the coat of arms. Missing are “Wisconsin” and “1848” which were added in 1979.
Sources
- Howe, Randy. Flags of the Fifty States: Their Colorful Histories and Significance. Guilford: The Globe Pequot Press, 2002. Print.
- Mitchell, Henry. The State Arms of the Union. Boston: L. Prang & Co, 1876.
- Wisconsin Statute. Chapter 1 Sovereignty and Jurisdiction of the State. Section 1.08 State Flag.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. State of Wisconsin 2007-2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, 2007.
- Wisconsin Historical Society
- Flag of Wisconsin - Wikipedia