Flag and coat of arms of Pennsylvania

Last updated
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg
Use Civil and state flag FIAV 110000.svg FIAV normal.svg IFIS Mirror.svg
Proportion27:37 (both 2:3 and 3:5 in use)
AdoptedJune 13, 1907;115 years ago (June 13, 1907)
Design Coat of Arms of Pennsylvania on a blue field
Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Coat of arms of Pennsylvania.svg
Versions
Pennsylvania state coat of arms (illustrated, 1876).jpg
Historical coat of arms (illustrated, 1876)
Coat of arms of Pennsylvania (seal).svg
The coat of arms is often used in the form of a "seal"
Coat of arms of Pennsylvania (lesser).svg
The coat of arms as it appears on the obverse of the Great Seal.
Armiger Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Adopted1778
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.

Contents

Coat of arms

Design and symbolism

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]

Use

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.

Flag

Design

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.

History

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]

Attempts to change the flag

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.

Flag of the Governor

Standard of the Governor of Pennsylvania Flag of the Governor of Pennsylvania.svg
Standard of the Governor of Pennsylvania

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.

Historical depictions of the Pennsylvania flag, and flags associated with Pennsylvania

See also

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References

  1. "Pennsylvania Government". State Government. State Symbols USA. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  2. "World Flags 101 - Pennsylvania Flags". Archived from the original on 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  3. "Symbols of Pennsylvania". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
  4. "Status of the Pennsylvania Flag". 2007-09-12. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  5. "Act of Jun. 13, 1907, P.L. 560, No. 373 Cl. 38 - FLAG OF PENNSYLVANIA DESIGNATED". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  6. "2001 State/Provincial Flag Survey - NAVA.org" (PDF). nava.org.
  7. Kaye, Edward B. (2001). "Good Flag, Bad Flag, and the Great NAVA Flag Survey of 2001" (PDF). Raven: A Journal of Vexillology. 8 via Philosophy Documentation Center.
  8. 1 2 "House passes Solobay bill adding 'Pennsylvania' to state flag". Office of State Rep. Tim Solobay. Archived from the original on 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  9. 1 2 "Pennsylvania Regular Session 2003-2004 House Bill 2808". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  10. 1 2 "Pennsylvania Regular Session 2005-2006 House Bill 149". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  11. "Pennsylvania (U.S.) 'Proposal for change to the flag'". www.fotw.info. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  12. 1 2 "Pennsylvania Regular Session 2007-2008 House Bill 179". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  13. 1 2 "Pennsylvania Regular Session 2009-2010 House Bill 143". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  14. 1 2 "Pennsylvania Regular Session 2009-2010 House Bill 179". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  15. 1 2 "Pennsylvania Regular Session 2011-2012 House Bill 722". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  16. 1 2 "Pennsylvania Regular Session 2013-2014 House Bill 578". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  17. Thorpe, Francis Newton (1902). The government of the people of the state of Pennsylvania. The Library of Congress. Philadelphia, Eldridge & brother.
  18. Allen, Francis Olcott (1894). "The Provincial or Colonial Flag of Pennsylvania". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 18 (2): 249–252. ISSN   0031-4587.
  19. "Pennsylvania Colonial/Revolutionary War Flags (U.S.)". www.fotw.info. Retrieved 2022-09-19.