Brief History of the Wisconsin State Flag

The flag of Wisconsin is a simple design: a blue background with the state’s coat of arms in the center. Beneath the coat of arms are the words “Wisconsin” and “1848,” signifying the year that Wisconsin became a state. But this design didn’t come about overnight—it has a long and complicated history. In this blog post, we’ll explore that history and see how the Wisconsin flag came to be what it is today.

The first recorded use of a flag in Wisconsin dates back to 1836, when a group of Milwaukee residents raised a flag emblazoned with the words “LIBERTY AND UNION” to celebrate the Fourth of July. This flag, which was likely inspired by Bunting’s well-known American Flag of 1834, continued to fly over Milwaukee for several years.

In 1839, Governor Henry Dodge proposed that a new flag be created for Wisconsin. His design, which featured a blue field with a white Maltese cross in the center, was intended to symbolize both the state’s status as part of the Union and its commitment to prohibit slavery. Though Governor Dodge’s flag was never officially adopted, it inspired several subsequent designs, including one by John Cramer that featured a blue field with a yellow sun in the center. Like Governor Dodge’s design, Cramer’s flag was also never officially adopted.

Finally, in 1963, after decades of discussion and debate, the current flag design was formally adopted as the official state flag of Wisconsin. though it bears little resemblance to Governor Dodge’s original proposal, the current flag still pays tribute to his effort by featuring the Maltese cross in its coat of arms.

The history of the Wisconsin flag is long and complicated—but also fascinating. Though it has undergone many changes over the years,the current flag still pays tribute to its earliest origins while remaining unique among all other state flags.