It has been suggested that this article should be split into articles titled Flag of Pennsylvania and Coat of arms of Pennsylvania . (discuss) (September 2022) |
Use | Civil and state flag |
---|---|
Proportion | 27:37 (both 2:3 and 3:5 in use) |
Adopted | June 13, 1907 |
Design | Coat of Arms of Pennsylvania on a blue field |
Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | |
---|---|
Versions | |
Armiger | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
Adopted | 1778 |
Crest | Bald eagle |
Torse | Gold and White |
Blazon | Tierced per fess azure, Or, and vert; in chief a ship at sea proper; in fess a plough proper; in base three sheaves of wheat proper |
Supporters | Horses |
Motto | Virtue, Liberty, and Independence |
The coat of arms of Pennsylvania is an official emblem of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, alongside the seal and state flag, and was adopted in 1778. [1] The flag of Pennsylvania consists of a blue field on which the state coat of arms is displayed.
The Pennsylvania coat of arms features a shield crested by a North American bald eagle, flanked by horses, and adorned with symbols of Pennsylvania's strengths—a ship carrying state commerce to all parts of the world; a clay-red plough, a symbol of Pennsylvania's rich natural resources; and three golden sheaves of wheat, representing fertile fields and Pennsylvania's wealth of human thought and action. An olive branch and cornstalk cross limbs beneath—symbols of peace and prosperity. The state motto, "Virtue, Liberty and Independence", appears festooned below. Atop the coat of arms is a bald eagle, representing Pennsylvania's loyalty to the United States. [2] [3]
Besides being used by itself, the coat of arms is used on the state flag, many governmental seals of the state, and the flag of the Governor.
The flag of Pennsylvania is a blue background (by law, the same blue as the flag of the United States) charged with the Pennsylvania coat of arms.
It is one of eight U.S. state flags to feature an eagle, alongside those of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, New York, North Dakota, Oregon and Utah.
Originally authorized by the state in 1798, the current design was enacted by law on June 13, 1907, [4] specifically standardizing the field of blue to be the "same color as the blue field in the flag of the United States". [5]
In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed 100 of its members and 337 members of the general public on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. The survey ranked Pennsylvania's flag 57th out of the 72. [6] This was believed to be due to both the complexity of its design, and its inability to stand out among a sea of similar “seal-on-a-bedsheet” designs common to more than half of U.S. state flags flags. [7]
Between 2004 and 2014, several attempts were made to add the word "Pennsylvania" to the state flag. According to former State Representative Tim Solobay (who introduced the first set of bills), this was intended to make Pennsylvania's flag more unique and identifiable. [8]
While the bill failed to leave committee in the first two sessions it was introduced, [9] [10] a 2006 survey offered by Solobay's office [11] to help refine the defined design may have swayed legislators to act on the bill, which was amended on May 7th, 2007. [12] On June 11th, 2007, The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted in favor of the bill, 164–31. [8] The Senate State Government Committee never considered the bill, which died at the end of the Pennsylvania General Assembly's two-year session.
The bill was reintroduced by Solobay in 2009, [13] and on the next session day, a second similar bill was introduced by former State Representative Gary Haluska with a competing definition of the design. [14] Neither bill was raised in committee that session. Haluska's proposal was reintroduced alone in both the 2011-12 [15] and 2013-14 sessions, [16] and died in committee both times.
The flag of the governor of Pennsylvania contains the state coat of arms on a field of white. Above the coat of arms, the flag displays a red ribbon with "The Governor" written in gold sans serif lettering. Below the coat of arms, the flag displays another red ribbon with "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" in gold lettering.
The flag of Missouri, often referred to as the Missouri flag, is the state flag of the U.S. state of Missouri. It consists of three equal horizontal tribands of red, white, and blue stripes, with the arms of Missouri in the center. Designed by Mary Elizabeth Oliver, the red and white stripes, as is traditional, represent valor and purity, respectively. The blue represents three things: the permanency, vigilance, and justice of the state. The three colors also highlight the French influence on the state in its early years. The Missouri flag was established on March 22, 1913, when governor Elliot Woolfolk Major signed the State flag act making it official.
The coat of arms of the state of New York was formally adopted in 1778, and appears as a component of the state's flag and seal.
The current flag of Georgia was adopted on February 19, 2003. The flag bears three horizontal stripes and features a blue canton containing a ring of 13 white stars that encircle the state's gold-colored coat of arms. The ring of stars that encompass the state's coat of arms represents Georgia as one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
The flag of the state of Michigan is a coat of arms set on a dark blue field, as set forth by Michigan state law. The state has an official flag month from June 14 through July 14.
The flags of the U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Modern U.S. state flags date from the turn of the 20th century, when states considered distinctive symbols for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Most U.S. state flags were designed and adopted between 1893 and World War I.
The flag of Delaware consists of a buff-colored diamond on a field of colonial blue, with the coat of arms of the state of Delaware inside the diamond. Below the diamond, the date December 7, 1787, declares the day on which Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. The colors of the flag reflect the colors of the uniform of General George Washington.
The flag of the state of Maryland is the 17th-century heraldic banner of arms of Cecil, 2nd Baron Baltimore. It consists of the arms of his father George, 1st Baron Baltimore (1579–1632), quartered with those of his grandmother, heiress of the Crossland family. The flag was officially adopted by the General Assembly of Maryland in 1904.
The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the flag of Massachusetts. It has been represented by official but limited-purpose flags since 1676, though until 1908 it had no state flag per se to represent its government. A variant of the white flag with blue seal was carried by each of the Massachusetts volunteer regiments during the American Civil War alongside the National Colors. An exception were the two "Irish regiments", each of which was permitted to carry an alternative green flag with a harp symbol.
The flag of Washington, D.C., consists of three red stars above two red bars on a white background. It is an armorial banner based on the design of the coat of arms granted to George Washington's great-great-great-grandfather, Lawrence Washington of Sulgrave Manor, Northamptonshire, England, in 1592. This coat of arms was used privately by the president in his home at Mount Vernon. In heraldry, the stars are called mullets and the coat of arms is blazoned as argent two bars gules, in chief three mullets of the second.
The Eye of Providence is a symbol that depicts an eye, often enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by rays of light or glory, meant to represent divine providence, whereby the eye of God watches over humanity. A well-known example of the Eye of Providence appears on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, which is depicted on the United States one-dollar bill.
The Seal of Louisiana is the official government emblem of the State of Louisiana. Originally devised in 1812, the latest version was enacted in 2006.
The Seal of the State of Texas was adopted through the 1845 Texas Constitution, and was based on the seal of the Republic of Texas, which dates from January 25, 1839.
The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the state seal for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to the state's website, the seal was authorized by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1791, and is "a symbol of authenticity which verifies that proclamations, commissions and other papers of state are legal and official."
The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contains the coat of arms of Massachusetts. The coat of arms is encircled by the Latin text "Sigillum Reipublicæ Massachusettensis". The Massachusetts Constitution designates the form of government a "commonwealth", for which Respublica is the correct Latin term. The Seal uses as its central element the Coat of Arms of Massachusetts. An official emblem of the State, the Coat of Arms was adopted by the Legislature in 1775, and then reaffirmed by Governor John Hancock and his Council on December 13, 1780. The present rendition of the seal was drawn by resident-artist Edmund H. Garrett, and was adopted by the state in 1900. While the inscription around the seal is officially in Latin, a variant with "Commonwealth of Massachusetts" in English is also sometimes used.
In response to court action in a number of states, the United States federal government and a number of state legislatures passed or attempted to pass legislation either prohibiting or allowing same-sex marriage or other types of same-sex unions.
The flag of Wisconsin is the official flag of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The flag was first adopted in 1863, and was modified in 1979. It is a blue flag charged with the state coat of arms of Wisconsin.
Steven Samuelson is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was elected to his 13th term in November 2022 and is currently the Democratic chair of the Aging and Older Adult Services Committee.
The coats of arms of the U.S. states are coats of arms, that are an official symbol of the state, alongside their seal. Eighteen states have officially adopted coats of arms. The former independent Republic of Texas and Kingdom of Hawaii each had a separate national coat of arms, which are no longer used.
The coat of arms of Mississippi is an official symbol of the State of Mississippi.