Flag of Minnesota

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Current flag of Minnesota

The flag of Minnesota consists of the state seal on a royal blue background with gold fringe. The seal is surrounded by a wreath of the state flower, the showy lady slipper. Three dates are woven into a wreath of the state flower: 1858, the statehood year; 1819, the year Fort Snelling was established; and 1893, the year the original flag was adopted. Nineteen stars ring the wreath, symbolizing the fact that Minnesota was the 19th state to enter the Union after the original 13. The largest star represents the North Star and Minnesota. The current flag was adopted in 1957 and the state seal in the flag was modified in 1983.

The first flag of the state of Minnesota was adopted in 1893. That flag was created by Mrs. Amelia Hyde Center of Minneapolis. That flag was white on front and light blue on the back. In the center was the state seal wreathed with white moccasin flowers, on a blue ground. A red ribbon in the seal bore a motto. The years 1819 (settlement of Minnesota), 1858 (statehood) and 1893 (adoption of the first state flag) appeared in gold around the state seal. Minnesota was written under the state seal in gold and 19 gold stars arranged in clusters to form the points a star also surrendered the state seal 19 stars represented the fact that Minnesota was the 19th state added after the original 13 states. This flag was costly to produce, and few were made or used. This led to a redesign of the flag in 1957.

Historic Minnesota Flags
1893-1957 flag (front)	1893-1957 flag (back)
1957-1983	1983 - Present

[edit] New Flag Proposals

Since 1989, several efforts have been made to institute a better Minnesota flag, most notably the North Star Flag campaign, which has waxed and waned in strength. The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), in its 2001 surveyof United States and Canadian state, provincial, and territorial flags rated the current Minnesota flag 67th out of 72 flags evaluated.