The flag of Delaware consists of a buff-colored diamond on a field of colonial blue, with the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of the state of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

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 George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

. The coat of arms in the center of the flag was adopted on January 17, 1777. It depicts a shield of horizontal orange, blue, and white stripes. On the stripes are a sheaf of

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

, an ear of corn, and an ox standing on grass, all representing Delaware's agriculture. Above the shield is a sailing ship. Supporting the shield are a farmer on the left and a soldier on the right. The state motto, below the shield, reads "

Liberty and Independence The great seal of the state of Delaware was first adopted on January 17, 1777, with the current version being adopted April 29, 2004. It contains the state coat of arms surrounded by an inscription. Coat of arms At the center of the coat of arm ...

". These symbols are also included on the

seal of Delaware The great seal of the state of Delaware was first adopted on January 17, 1777, with the current version being adopted April 29, 2004. It contains the state coat of arms surrounded by an inscription. Coat of arms At the center of the coat of arm ...

. The current flag was adopted on July 24, 1913. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, regiments from Delaware flew a flag which was similar to the state coat of arms on a field of blue. In 2001, a survey conducted by the

North American Vexillological Association The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) is a membership organization devoted to vexillology, the scientific and scholarly study of flags. It was founded in 1967 by American vexillologist Whitney Smith (1940–2016), and others. It ...

(NAVA) placed Delaware's flag 52nd in design quality out of the 72 Canadian provincial, U.S. state and U.S. territorial flags ranked.

Laws that enact the flag

The design of the official state flag shall be as follows: A background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff in which diamond is placed the correct coat of arms of the state in the colors prescribed by law and in accordance with §301 of this title, with the words, "December 7, 1787", to be inscribed underneath the diamond. The official state colors, colonial blue and buff, are designated by the Textile Color Card Association of the United States, Inc., New York, as "arno blue" (Cable No. 10663), and "golden beige" (Cable No. 10781) respectively; the color shades having been determined by Colorimetric Specifications of the National Bureau of Standards, United States Department of Commerce, in Test No. 2, 1/140565, dated November 18, 1954, which is on file with the Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. The colors of the coat of arms and other elements of the state flag shall be the following: Husbandman, trousers of gray-brown, shirt of red, hat and hilling hoe of brown; rifleman, suit of green, binding, bag and leggings of buff, hat of brown,

powder flask A powder flask is a small container for gunpowder, which was an essential part of shooting equipment with muzzle-loading guns, before pre-made paper cartridges became standard in the 19th century. They range from very elaborately decorated works o ...

and feather of gray; shield, frame of shaded yellow, top panel of orange, center panel of blue, lower panel of white, ox of red-brown, grass and corn of green, wheat and branches underfoot of yellow, heraldic wreath to be blue and silver (twisted); ship under full sail to have a dark hull and white sails; date, December 7, 1787, to be white; cord and tassels to be blue and gold.

Governor's flag

The official flag of the governor of the state shall be identical to the official flag of this state except that it shall also bear a fringe of gold, surrounding the edge of the flag and the pole upon which the governor's flag is carried shall have mounted thereon a model of a blue hen's

fighting cock A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...

References

External links

* {{Delaware

Symbols of Delaware

Laws that enact the flag

Governor's flag

See also

References

Further reading

External links