The State Flag of Illinois

As with all flags, there is a rich history and symbolism behind the State Flag of Illinois. With the Great Seal of Illinois on a white background, this flag hangs all over the Prairie State. This article delves a little into the history of the flag.

The flag Itself

The Illinois state flag depicts the Great Seal of Illinois on a white background. The Great Seal was created in 1819. The seal was designed to closely resemble the Great Seal of the United States. It has two dates on it: 1818 and 1868 (the year Illinois became a state, and the year the seal was redesigned). It contains an eagle holding a banner in its beak. The beak reads, "State Sovereignty, National Union." The symbolism comes into play once you notice that the word "state" is at the bottom, and the word "sovereignty" is upside down. This comes from the Civil War, where Illinois fought for the Union against state sovereignty.

History of the flag

The State Flag of Illinois was adopted in 1915 after a long campaign by the Daughters of the American Revolution (led by Ella Park). In 1969, the flag was altered with the addition of the state's name to the flag. This came after the Vietnam War, where many people did not recognize the state flag because it lacked the name of the state and closely resembled The Great Seal of the United States.

The State Flag of Illinois has a rich history, and was the result of a lot of hard work by many people. Now, the flag hangs high all over the great state of Illinois, and carries a deep meaning to many residents of the Prairie State.