List of flags of the United States
National flag and seal
| Flag / seal | date | function | description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
since July 4, 1960 |
Stars and Stripes flag of the USA |
7 red and 6 white horizontal stripes, in the jack a blue field with 50 white stars |
.svg) |
since 1782 | Seal of the USA | The seal shows a bald eagle holding an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its claws, which is supposed to express readiness for peace, but also to fight. In his beak he wears a ribbon with the motto of the USA: E pluribus unum (Latin: “From many one”). |
.svg) |
since 1782 | Back of the seal of the USA | The 13-step pyramid on the back has the Roman number MDCCLXXVI (1776) at the base, the year the USA was founded. In addition, the pyramid with the raised keystone appears to be incomplete. The Latin saying Annuit cœptis means something like "He (God) has blessed what has begun". |
Service flags
Military flags, seals and national emblems
|
Flag / seal national emblem |
date | function | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Seal of the Navy Ministry ( Department of the Navy ) |
The seal shows a three-masted sailing ship under sail, in front of it an anchor and the American heraldic eagle. The inscription reads Department of the Navy at the top and United States of America at the bottom . | |
 |
1960-2002; since 2019 | Jack of the US Navy | 50 white stars on a blue cloth. |
.svg) |
2002-2019 | US Navy Jack in the War on Terror ( First Navy Jack ) | Seven red and six white horizontal stripes, diagonally a rattlesnake , in the bottom white stripe the black text: Dont tread on me (“Don't step on me”). A flag with a similar motif (rattlesnake on a yellow background with an identical motto) was the Gadsden Flag , which was used in the American independence movement around 1775. |
 |
Seal of the Army Ministry ( Department of the Army ) |
||
 |
US Army logo | ||
 |
since 1947 | Seal of the Air Force Ministry ( Department of the Air Force ) |
|
 |
National emblems on military aircraft and helicopters of the US Air Force , US Army , US Coast Guard , US Marine Corps and the US Navy | ||
 |
US Air Force logo | ||
 |
Seal of the US Marine Corps | ||
 |
Flag of the US Marine Corps | ||
 |
Flag of the US Coast Guard | ||
 |
US Army flag | ||
 |
since May 15, 2020 | Flag of the US Space Force | |
 |
Flag of the Chief of Staff of the Army |
|
State flags and seals
(in alphabetical order: name of the country, order of accession (R.), founding countries in bold )
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
Flag of the District of Columbia
| flag | Seal / coat of arms | founding | current flag introduced | Capital District | Main Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
1790 | 1938 | District of Columbia | Flag of the District of Columbia |
Flags of the outer territories of the United States
American Oceania
| flag | Seal / coat of arms | connection | current flag introduced | Overseas territory | Main Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
1898 | 1948 | Guam | Flag of Guams |
.svg) |
1898 | Johnston Island | Flags of the United States Minor Outlying Islands | ||
 |
.svg) |
1898 | 1976 | Northern Mariana Islands | Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands |
.svg) |
1867 | Midway Islands | Flags of the United States Minor Outlying Islands | ||
.svg) |
1898 | Palmyra | Flags of the United States Minor Outlying Islands | ||
 |
 |
1899 | 1960 | American Samoa | American Samoa flag |
 |
1899 | Wake up | Flags of the United States Minor Outlying Islands |
Outskirts in the Caribbean
| flag | Seal / coat of arms | connection | current flag introduced | Overseas territory | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
1917 | 1921 | American Virgin Islands | see also: Flag of the American Virgin Islands |
.svg) |
1857 | Navassa | see also: Flags of the United States Minor Outlying Islands | ||
 |
 |
1898 | 1894 | Puerto Rico | see also: Flag of Puerto Rico |
Regional flags
Many cities and counties have their own flags and seals, here those of the five largest cities are listed.
| flag | Seal / coat of arms | date | Region / city | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
1915 | New York City | New York continues the colors of the United Netherlands with the city seal in the center. The seal shows a settler and an Indian. |
 |
 |
1905 (seal) 1931 (flag) |
los Angeles | The colors green, orange and red are supposed to represent olives, oranges and grapes. In the middle is the Los Angeles seal . Within the circle, the shield is surrounded by grapes, olives, and oranges, the most important fruits grown in California. These are also symbolized in the colors of the Los Angeles flag . The fruits lie on a gold background and are surrounded by a 77-pearl rosary. The top left coat of arms stands for the USA , the top right for California . The lower left for Mexico and the lower right for Castile and León . |
 |
 |
1770s | Chicago | The three white stripes stand for the north, west and south of the city. The upper blue stripe represents Lake Michigan and the northern arm of the Chicago River. The lower blue stripe represents the southern arm of the Chicago River and the Grand Canal. The four stars represent Fort Dearborn , the great fire of 1871 , the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the A Century of Progress exhibition. |
 |
 |
1840 (seal) 1915 (flag) |
Houston | The flag shows the seal in a five-pointed star. The crest's locomotive represents progress, the plow represents Texas agriculture. |
 |
 |
1990 | Phoenix | The flag and coat of arms symbolize a phoenix , after which the city is named. |
Historical flags and symbols
Flags of the independence movement
| flag | date | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|
 |
original Sons of Liberty Flag The Sons of Liberty (English: Sons of Liberty) were a group of young and enthusiastic patriots before the revolution. |
|
 |
around 1765 | later Sons of Liberty Flag |
.svg) |
around 1775 | Grand Union Flag (also Continental Flag ), the original Union Jack in the Obereck, one of the flags of the independence movement, but which still emphasizes the togetherness to the motherland and underlines the original demand for local self-determination . |
 |
around 1775 | Gadsden flag , yellow flag with a rattlesnake and the text Dont Tread On Me ( If not for me! ). The rattlesnake symbol was supported by Benjamin Franklin and appeared in many other flags, including the First Navy Jack , the current jack of the US Navy . |
Development of the Union flag
| Stars | flag | date | New state (accession) | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | .svg) |
June 14, 1777 - May 1, 1795 | - | 13 stars and 13 stripes stand for the 13 founding countries |
| 13 | .svg) |
Betsy Ross Flag (also Francis Hopkinson Flag ), flag of the Union with 13 stripes and 13 stars arranged in a circle for the thirteen colonies , national flag after the Declaration of Independence , the arrangement of the stars was not yet defined, which is why there were also other variants of these flags. | ||
| 15th | .svg) |
May 1, 1795 - July 3, 1818 |
Kentucky (June 1, 1792) Vermont (March 4, 1791) |
Star Spangled Banner 8 red and 7 white stripes (15 stripes!), 15 white stars in the blue jack. This flag was the flag honored in the US national anthem . |
| 20th | .svg) |
July 4, 1818 - July 3, 1819 |
Tennessee (June 1, 1796) |
After five new memberships and a new flag law that limited the stripes to 13 and stipulated the introduction of new stars for new states in the jack on July 4th following accession , 20 stars were introduced in the jack. |
| 20th |  |
The new flag law, however, did not define the arrangement and color of the stars. So-called Great Star Flags , whose smaller stars formed a large one, were also used. | ||
| 21st | .svg) |
July 4, 1819 - July 3, 1820 | Illinois (December 3, 1818) | |
| 23 | .svg) |
July 4, 1820 - July 3, 1822 |
Alabama (December 14, 1819) Maine (March 15, 1820) |
|
| 24 | .svg) |
July 4, 1822 - July 3, 1836 | Missouri (August 10, 1821) | |
| 25th | .svg) |
July 4, 1836 - July 3, 1837 | Arkansas (June 15, 1836) | |
| 26th | .svg) |
July 4, 1837 - July 3, 1845 | Michigan (January 26, 1837) | |
| 26th |  |
Great Star version | ||
| 27 | .svg) |
July 4, 1845 - July 3, 1846 | Florida (March 3, 1845) | |
| 28 | .svg) |
July 4, 1846 - July 3, 1847 | Texas (December 29, 1845) | |
| 29 | .svg) |
July 4, 1847 - July 3, 1848 | Iowa (December 28, 1846) | |
| 29 |
 |
Since the arrangement of the stars was not defined until 1912, many variants were possible. The diamond formation was common and popular. | ||
| 30th | .svg) |
July 4, 1848 - July 3, 1851 | Wisconsin (May 29, 1848) | |
| 31 | .svg) |
July 4, 1851 - July 3, 1858 | California (September 9, 1850) | |
| 32 | .svg) |
July 4, 1858 - July 3, 1859 | Minnesota (May 11, 1858) | |
| 33 | .svg) |
July 4, 1859 - July 3, 1861 | Oregon (February 14, 1859) | |
| 33 |  |
Great Star version | ||
| 33 |  |
1861 | Fort Sumter Flag : This version with the diamond in the center of the stars waved over Fort Sumter at the beginning of the Civil War . | |
| 34 | .svg) |
July 4, 1861 - July 3, 1863 | Kansas (January 29, 1861) | |
| 35 | .svg) |
July 4, 1863 - July 3, 1865 | West Virginia (June 20, 1863) | |
| 36 | .svg) |
July 4, 1865 - July 3, 1867 | Nevada (October 31, 1864) | |
| 36 |  |
Wagon wheel version of the flag | ||
| 37 | .svg) |
July 4, 1867 - July 3, 1877 | Nebraska (March 1, 1867) | |
| 37 |  |
Many variants of the flag were designed to mark the US centenary, including this reference to the Betsy Ross flag | ||
| 38 | .svg) |
July 4, 1877 - July 3, 1890 | Colorado (August 1, 1876) | |
| 38 |  |
The inner circle has 13 stars, which stand for the founding states and is a reference to the Betsy Ross flag . The large central star symbolizes the newly acceded state of Colorado . | ||
| 43 | .svg) |
July 4, 1890 - July 3, 1891 |
North Dakota (November 2, 1889) |
|
| 44 | .svg) |
July 4, 1891 - July 3, 1896 | Wyoming (July 10, 1890) | |
| 45 | .svg) |
July 4, 1896 - July 3, 1908 | Utah (January 4, 1896) | |
| 46 | .svg) |
July 4, 1908 - July 3, 1912 | Oklahoma (November 16, 1907) | |
| 48 | .svg) |
July 4, 1912 - July 3, 1959 |
New Mexico (January 6, 1912) Arizona (February 14, 1912) |
The 48-star flag was the victory flag of the US Army in the First and Second World War , therefore, and is also known as Old Glory Flag designated. |
| 49 |  |
July 4, 1959 - July 3, 1960 | Alaska (January 3, 1959) | |
| 50 | |
since July 4, 1960 | Hawaii (August 21, 1959) | current flag of the USA. Since July 4, 2007, it has been the longest unchanged flag in US history. Before that it was the 47-year- old Old Glory Flag (1912-1959). |
Flags and symbols of the Confederate States
see: war flags of the Confederate States of America , flags of the secessionist states , civil war
| Flag / seal | date | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|
 |
1862-1865 | The Seal of the Confederate States shows George Washington on horseback, in the same position as a statue in Richmond . The English inscription reads "The Confederate States of America: 22 February 1862". The Latin motto "Deo Vindice" means With God as our protector . |
.svg) |
March 4, 1861 - May 26, 1861 | Stars and Bars , the first national flag of the Confederate States of America with seven stars (States) ( English: Confederate States of America ; Abbreviation: CSA ) |
.svg) |
May 21, 1861 - July 2, 1861 | National flag of the CSA with nine stars (states) |
.svg) |
July 2, 1861 - November 28, 1861 | National flag of the CSA with eleven stars (states) |
.svg) |
November 28, 1861 - May 1, 1863 | National flag of the CSA with 13 stars (states) |
.svg) |
May 1, 1863 - March 4, 1865 | National flag of the CSA ( Stainless Banner ) |
.svg) |
March 4, 1865 - May 26, 1865 | Last national flag of the Confederate States of America ( CSA ) . Previously, a flag was used without the red stripe on the right edge, but to prevent confusion with the white surrender flag, this variant was introduced on March 4, 1865. |
.svg) |
1861-1863 | Gösch of the Navy of the CSA (seven stars or states) |
 |
1863-1865 | Gösch of the Navy of the CSA . The flag was not introduced until May 26, 1863 and was used until the end of the war. Nowadays the model is the generally recognized symbol of the "South", where it is called the "Rebel" or "Dixie" flag. It is also incorrectly referred to as the "Confederate Flag". ( Rebel flag ) |
 |
1865 | Customs flag of the CSA |
 |
November 1861 - May 1862 | War flag of the CSA |
|
May 1862 - April 1865 | War flag of the CSA |
Confederate state flags
see flags of the secession states
The future of flags
| Stars | flag | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|
| 51 |  |
In Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, there is a strong political drive to transform the respective territory into a state . The US outer areas of the American Virgin Islands , Northern Mariana Islands , Guam and American Samoa could also become federal states in the distant future. The United States Army Institute of Heraldry is planning flags with up to 57 stars. |
Flags of other states based on the flag of the United States
see: Flags based on the Stars and Stripes
| Flag / seal | date | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|
 |
since 1828 | The colors of the flag of Uruguay were influenced by the flag of Argentina and the stripe flag of the USA. |
 |
since 1847 | The flag of Liberia is modeled on the flag of the United States, the country from which most of its residents came as freed slaves. |
 |
since 1902 | The flag of Cuba was modeled on the Texan flag in 1850. Narciso López had the plan to liberate Cuba from Spanish colonial rule and to integrate it into the USA. |
 |
since 1960 | The flag of Togo was due to a flag competition. |
 |
since 1963 | The flag of Malaysia is inspired by the flag of the USA, but uses traditional symbols of Islam with the crescent moon and the star. |
Subnational areas
| Flag / seal | date | Description / remark |
|---|---|---|
 |
since 1987 | The Bikini Atoll flag is intended to commemorate the US's “great guilt” towards the Bikinians for the destruction and radioactive contamination in connection with the detonation of the H-bomb in 1954 ( Operation Castle ). |
See also
- United States history
- US oath of allegiance
- War flags of the Confederate States of America
- Flagging public buildings in the United States
- Lists of the state symbols of the US states
literature
- The Flag Institute (ed.): National flags of the world . Hamburg: Edition Maritim, 2000. ISBN 3-89225-402-8
- Karl-Heinz Hesmer: Flags and coats of arms of the world. History and symbolism of the flags and coats of arms of all states . Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Lexikon Verlag, 1992. ISBN 3-570-01082-1
Web links
Commons : Flags of the United States - collection of images, videos and audio files
Individual evidence
- ↑ City Seal. Retrieved June 30, 2020 .
States and District of Columbia :
Alabama |
Alaska |
Arizona |
Arkansas |
Colorado |
District of Columbia |
Connecticut |
Delaware |
Florida |
Georgia |
Hawaii |
Idaho |
Illinois |
Indiana |
Iowa |
California |
Kansas |
Kentucky |
Louisiana |
Maine |
Maryland |
Massachusetts |
Michigan |
Minnesota |
Mississippi |
Missouri |
Montana |
Nebraska |
Nevada |
New Hampshire |
New Jersey |
New Mexico |
New York |
North Carolina |
North Dakota |
Ohio |
Oklahoma |
Oregon |
Pennsylvania |
Rhode Island |
South Carolina |
South Dakota |
Tennessee |
Texas |
Utah |
Vermont |
Virginia |
Washington |
West Virginia |
Wisconsin |
Wyoming
Outskirts :
Guam |
American Virgin Islands |
American Samoa |
Northern Mariana Islands |
Puerto Rico |
United States Minor Outlying Islands
State symbols of the US states
These symbols are considered state landmarks in the respective states of the United States :
Amphibians | Trees | Flowers | Floors | Dinosaur | Colors | Fish | Flags | Fossils | Fruits | Poems | Drinks | Grasses | Dog breeds | Insects | Cat breeds | License plate | Crustaceans | Food | Songs | Minerals, rocks and precious stones | Marine mammals | Mottos | Mussels | Horse breeds | Reptiles | Mammals | Butterflies | Nicknames | Slogans | Sports | Dances | Tartans | State Route Signs | Birds