The State Flag of Kansas

The state flag of Kansas is a rallying cry for the people of the Sunflower State. Despite this, many people are unaware of the flag's rich history and deep sense of symbolism. This article traces that history and symbolism.

The flag's design

The state flag of Kansas is adorned with blue and gold, the state's seal and a sunflower on the top of the seal. "Kansas" is written in big, gold letters at the bottom. The Kansas State Seal tells the history of Kansas. The seal contains a boat to represent commerce, a wagon train to represent American expansion out west, Indians hunting bison and a cabin to represent agriculture. The seal also contains Kansas' state motto, "Ad Astra per Aspera," which means, "To the stars through difficulties." The stars in the motto are referring to the 34 stars located on the state seal.

History of the Kansas state flag

The Kansas state flag was originally designed in 1925, but was not adopted until 1927. The flag was first flown for the Kansas National Guard at Fort Riley. From 1925 until 1927, Kansas used a state banner. This banner was rejected for display in Washington, D.C. After the rejection, the state flag was adopted. The flag was later modified in 1961 to add the name "Kansas" to the flag. The Kansas flag has the dubious honor of ranking 69 out of 72 in rankings of all the flags in Canada, the U.S. and the U.S. territories.

The Kansas flag is rife with symbolism and meaning, and represents the agriculture, commerce and American expansionism of the state.