Flag of Chicago
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The municipal flag of Chicago consists of two blue horizontal stripes on a field of white, each stripe one-sixth the height of the full flag, and placed slightly less than one-sixth of the way from the top or bottom, respectively. Between the two blue stripes are four red, six-pointed stars arranged in a horizontal row.
In a review by the North American Vexillological Association of 150 American city flags, the Chicago city flag came in 2nd with a rating of 9.03 out of 10, behind only the flag of Washington, D.C..[1]
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[edit] Symbolism
[edit] Stripes
The three white stripes of the flag represent, from top to bottom, the North, West and South sides of the city. The top blue stripe represents Lake Michigan and the North Branch of the Chicago River. The bottom blue stripe represents the South Branch of the Chicago River and the Great Canal.[1]
[edit] Stars
The four red six-pointed stars on the center white stripe, from left to right (although this is not the order in which they were added to the flag):
- The first star represents Fort Dearborn . It was added to the flag in 1939. Its six points symbolize transportation, labor, commerce, finance, populousness, and salubrity.[2]
- The second star stands for the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and is original to the 1917 design of the flag. Its six points represent the virtues of religion, education, aesthetics, justice, beneficence, and civic pride.[3]
- The third star symbolizes the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, and is original to the 1917 design. Its six points stand for political entities Chicago has belonged to and the flags that have flown over the area: France 1693, Great Britain 1763, Virginia 1778, the Northwest Territory 1798, Indiana Territory 1802, and Illinois 1818.[4]
- The fourth star represents the Century of Progress Exposition (1933-1934), and was added in 1933. Its points refer to bragging rights: the World's Third Largest City, Chicago's Latin Motto (Urbs in horto - City in a garden), Chicago's "I Will" Motto, Great Central Marketplace, Wonder City, Convention City.[5]
A possible fifth star has been proposed for the city flag on more than one occasion. The first occasion occurred in the 1940s when a letter to the Chicago Tribune asked that a fifth star to be added to the city flag in honor of going to the nuclear age.[2] On another occasion, it was proposed in honor of Harold Washington, the first African-American mayor of Chicago.[citation needed] The current proposal is put forward by a city committee to get the 2016 Olympic Games in Chicago; if the city manages to get the Olympic Games, a fifth star may be added to the flag.[3]
[edit] History
In 1915, Mayor William Hale Thompson appointed a municipal flag commission, chaired by Alderman James A. Kearnes. Among the commission members were wealthy industrialist Charles Deering and impressionist painter Lawton S. Parker. Parker asked lecturer and poet Wallace Rice to develop the rules for an open public competition for the best flag design. Over a thousand entries were received. In the end, the commission chose the design by Wallace Rice himself. On April 4, 1917, the commission's recommendation was accepted by the city council.
In 1933, under Mayor Edward Joseph Kelly, a third star was added in honor of the ongoing World's Fair. And, in 1939, on the recommendation of the Fort Dearborn Memorial commission, the city council added the fourth star to commemorate the Fort Dearborn Massacre, although it is the left-most star on the flag. In summer 2007 it was first suggested to add a fifth star should the city win the 2016 Olympics.[6]
Contrary to various antisemitic conspiracy theories, the flag has absolutely nothing to do with the visually similar Flag of Israel.
[edit] References
- ^ "Washington, D.C. Tops American City Flags Survey", North American Vexillological Association press release, 2 October 2004
- ^ First Red Star
- ^ Second Red Star
- ^ Third Red Star
- ^ Fourth Red Star
- ^ "Chicago Flag May Get New Star if Olympics Come," CBS 2, 22 June 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
[edit] External links
[edit] Further reading
- "Art and Architecture: How the Chicago Municipal Flag Came to be Chosen", Chicago Daily Tribune, July 17, 1921, p. 21.
- "City Gets New Flag Today with Third Star for 1933 Fair", Chicago Daily Tribune, October 9, 1933, p. 7.
- "Fort Dearborn Gets a Star on Chicago's Flag", Chicago Daily Tribune, December 22, 1939. p. 18.
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