Brief History of the Illinois State Flag

The flag of Illinois is a simple but elegant design. It features a white background with the state seal in the center. Surrounding the seal are nineteen stars, representing Illinois as the 19th state to join the union. Here’s a closer look at the history of this iconic flag.

The current design of the Illinois flag was adopted in 1915, although it underwent a slight modification in 1969 when the number of stars was increased to represent Illinois’ role as the 21st state. The flag’s white background is meant to symbolize purity, while the blue in the state seal represents loyalty and justice.

Interestingly, the Illinois flag is one of only four state flags that does not contain the color red (the other three are Maryland, Ohio, and Oklahoma). This is likely because red was chosen as one of Illinois’ official colors in 1818, long before the current flag design was adopted.

The first known use of an Illinois state flag dates back to 1839 when Governor Thomas Carlin hoisted a hand-sewn banner at Fort Madison during Iowa Territory’s last Fourth of July celebration before it became a state. This early flag featured a single white star on a blue field, surrounded by twenty-one stars to represent Iowa and Illinois as territories.

Despite its simplicity, the current Illinois flag is widely recognized and respected. In fact, it was ranked as the 5th best state flag by The North American Vexillological Association in 2001 (vexillology is the study of flags). So next time you see Old Glory flying high, take a moment to appreciate all she represents—including our great state of Illinois!

Seldom do we stop to think about our state flag and all it represents—but maybe we should. After all, our flag is a symbol of everything that makes Illinois great: from our rich history to our loyal residents. So next time you see Old Glory waving in the breeze, take a moment to appreciate all she stands for—including our beloved Land of Lincoln!