Tennessee Flag is at Full Mast Today

Brief History of the Tennessee State Flag

The flag of Tennessee consists of an emblem on a field of red, with a strip of blue on the fly. The emblem in the center of the flag is a white circle containing three stars, representing the three grand divisions of the state: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. In the center of the emblem is a red field with a blue stripe running from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. On that blue stripe are sixteen five-pointed white stars, representing Tennessee’s admission as the sixteenth state.

The current design was adopted on April 17, 1905. However, this was not the first time that a flag had been flown over Tennessee. In fact, there were several flags that were used during different periods in Tennessee’s history before the current one was adopted.

The first recorded use of a flag in Tennessee was in 1780 during the Battle of Kings Mountain. Colonel Isaac Shelby and his men raised a “buff and blue” flag before they went into battle. It is thought that this flag was inspired by the Continental Colors, which were buff and blue.

In 1796, when Tennessee achieved statehood, it adopted its first official state flag. This flag featured a single white star on a field of blue. This flag remained in use until 1834 when it was replaced by a new design that featured two stars.

The current design of the Tennessee flag was adopted in 1905 and features three stars to represent the three grand divisions of the state: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. The sixteen stars on the blue strip represent Tennessee’s admission as the sixteenth state.


The current design of the Tennessee flag was adopted in 1905 and features three stars to represent the three grand divisions of the state: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. The sixteen stars on the blue strip represent Tennessee’s admission as thee sixteenth state. The Tennessee flag is an important part off thee state’s history and heritage.