Illinois State Flags

Illinois state flags have not deviated much from their original 1819 design. Similar to New Jersey state flags and flags of a number of other states, the Illinois flag depicts the state seal on a white background. Somewhat similar to the seal of the United States, the Illinois seal and flag bear an eagle carrying a banner in its beak that says "State Sovereignty, National Union." The eagle is perched on a stone with the dates 1818, the year that Illinois became a state, and 1868, the year that the flag was redesigned. The redesign was minor, with a change to word positioning on the banner the eagle carries. In 1970, the word "Illinois" was added to the flag. Aside from these minor changes, the Illinois state flag has remained the same for almost 200 years.