Kentucky State Flag

Kentucky State Flag

The Kentucky state flag has an unusually long and complicated history that mirrors the history of the state. The modern flag of Kentucky has very little in common with most of the flags that came before it, but it does bear a structural resemblance to the flag of Virginia, which represented Kentucky during part of the state's early history.

Colors and Symbolism of the Flag of Kentucky

The KY state flag consists of a dark blue field with the state seal of Kentucky in the center. The phrase "Commonwealth of Kentucky" is placed around the top half of the seal, while two sprigs of goldenrod, which is the state flower of Kentucky, wrap around the bottom half of the seal. 

The Kentucky state seal has an unusually simple design. It is a solid white disc with a frontiersman and a politician embracing each other in the center. The government of Kentucky intended for the two men to represent all of the pioneers and politicians that served the state during its early history, but many people say that they represent Daniel Boone and Henry Clay. 

History of the KY State Flag

The Kentucky state flag follows in the footsteps of many other flags. Kentucky began as a French colony, so it was initially represented by the flag of France. It was eventually given to the British Empire, at which point the Union Jack came into use. That flag fell out of use during the Revolutionary War, which Kentucky spent as part of Virginia. 

Kentucky stopped using the flag of Virginia when it became a state in 1792, but it did not immediately adopt a KY state flag. It used the national flag exclusively until the Civil War, at which point different parts of the state flew both the Union and Confederate flags. 

The first unique flag of Kentucky came into use in 1918, when it was designed by Jesse Cox Burgess and authorized by the state government. The design has never undergone any significant changes, but the state did choose to clarify the design in 1963 by adding a picture of the flag to the relevant legal statutes.

A short history of the Kentucky State flag
A few years after the original thirteen colonies, Kentucky achieved statehood, and its seal of 1792 shows "two friends embracing".” They were accompanied by the name and state motto. An earlier version showed the two men standing on the edge of a cliff, and dressed as frontiersmen. Now the cliff has gone, and the dress is more modern, however not by much. Kentucky, like other Union states during the Civil War, had a blue flag with its seal in the center. In 1880 this was made the official flag of the National Guard. The state legislature decided to adopt a new flag, but not for 10 years after a new design was made. The state name appears in condensed gold lettering in an arc around the top half of the seal and goldenrod, two sprigs of the state flower form another arc around the lower half. In June 1962, legislation declared this official.

A short history of Kentucky (The Bluegrass State)
West across the Appalachians from Virginia lies Kentucky. It was in effect a colony of Virginia until June 1, 1792 when it achieved statehood (the second to do so after the original 13 colonies).

Area of Kentucky: 40,409 sq. miles
Capital: Frankfort
Major Products: coal, oil, gas, tobacco, corn, livestock, machinery, tourism
State Motto: United we stand, divided we fall

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