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Illinois Constitution
About the symbol
The state flag of Illinois shows the emblem portion of the official state seal on a field of white. Beneath the seal is the word "Illinois" in blue.
How did it become a state symbol?
(from Illinois Blue Book, 1983-1984)
Illinois has had two official state flags.
The slogan "Land of Lincoln" certainly describes Illinois well. Abraham Lincoln moved to Macon County, Illinois from Indiana in 1830 when he was 21 years old. He lived in Illinois until he became President in 1861. In addition to serving as President, Lincoln represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives for one term (1847-1849). He was a member of the Illinois Legislature from 1834 to 1841 (four terms).
The first was officially adopted on July 6, 1915, after a vigorous campaign by Mrs. Ella Park Lawrence, State Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Early in 1912, Mrs. Lawrence began visiting local D.A.R. chapters throughout Illinois seeking cooperation in promoting selection of an official state banner to place in the Continental Memorial Hall in Washington, DC.
A prize of $25 was offered to the Chapter submitting the best design for the banner and four judges were selected to choose the winner. Thirty-five designs were submitted and the Rockford Chapter entry designed by Miss Lucy Derwent, was chosen.
State Senator Raymond D. Meeker introduced the bill which was to legalize the flag. The measure passed both Houses of the General Assembly and automatically became a law on July 6, 1915, when Governor Edward F. Dunne failed to affix his signature to the bill.
The move to design a new state flag was initiated by Chief Petty Officer Bruce McDaniel of Waverly, then serving in Vietnam. The Illinois flag was one of many state flags which were hung on the walls of his mess hall; its identity was always questioned, so McDaniel requested that the flag carry the state's name.
A bill to amend the original flag act of 1915 was sponsored by Representative Jack Walker of Lansing and was passed by the General Assembly and approved by Governor Richard B. Ogilvie September 17, 1969. This authorized a new flag to carry the word "Illinois".
Governor Ogilvie appointed a committee consisting of the State Historian, the Director of the Illinois Information Service, and the State Records Archivist to develop specifications for the new state flag to ensure uniformity in reproduction of design and color by flag makers.
Mrs. Sanford Hutchison of Greenfield who had previously done extensive research on the official design of the state seal, submitted a flag which contained all the required elements of the design as specified by law, this was accepted by the committee, the Secretary of State and the Governor; on July 1, 1970, it became the official flag of Illinois.
Seal of the State of Illinois
The Great Seal: The first seal used in what is now Illinois was that of the Northwest Territory, first used in 1788. The Seal of the Illinois Territory followed in 1809.
The three state seals subsequently used in Illinois' history differed from the territorial seals in that the eagle held a banner in its beak with the words of the state motto, "State Sovereignty, National Union." The words "Seal of the State of Illinois" and the date "Aug. 26, 1818," the date that the first Illinois Constitution was signed in Kaskaskia, appeared between the circles.
After Illinois gained statehood in December 1818, the First General Assembly decreed on Feb. 19, 1819, that state officials should procure a permanent State Seal. The seal they decided upon was a duplicate of the Great Seal of the United States. This First Great Seal of Illinois was used until 1839 when it was recut. The new version became the Second Great Seal.
Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale was responsible for creating the seal in use today. In January 1867, he told Senator Allen C. Fuller that the old seal had outlived its usefulness, and a new one was needed. He asked Fuller to sponsor a bill authorizing a new seal. But a controversy arose when the Senate discovered that Tyndale planned to use Fuller's bill to change the wording "State Sovereignty, National Union" to "National Union, State Sovereignty" in light of the Civil War.
The Senate disagreed with Tyndale and amended and passed the bill on March 7, 1867, restoring the original wording. Though Tyndale followed the General Assembly's decree that he not reverse the words of the State Motto, he changed the banner's placement on the seal so that, though "National Union" followed "State Sovereignty," it was much more prominent. Moreover, the word "Sovereignty" was upside down, further decreasing its readability.
The State Seal has been recut more than once since 1868, but Tyndale's design has remained essentially unchanged. The Secretary of State is the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Illinois. Reproduction or use of the State Seal, or the State Flag, is permissible only in strict accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
Amphibian
Illinois citizens voted to select the eastern tiger salamander as the state amphibian in 2004. The vote was made official by the General Assembly in 2005.
Reptile
Illinois citizens voted to select the painted turtle as the state reptile in 2004. The vote was made official by the General Assembly in 2005.
State Flower
In 1907, Illinois schoolchildren voted to select the state tree and the state flower. They selected the Violet. The General Assembly approved a bill to make these selections official in 1908.
State Tree
In 1973, a special poll of 900,000 schoolchildren changed the State Tree from the Native Oak to the White Oak.
State Bird
In 1928, Illinois schoolchildren selected the cardinal as the State Bird of Illinois. The General Assembly made that designation official in 1929.
State Insect
In 1974 a third-grader from Decatur suggested that the monarch butterfly become the state insect. Schoolchildren lobbied for the monarch butterfly and the General Assembly passed a bill making it official in 1975.
State Fish
Schoolchildren selected the Bluegill as the state fish in 1986. Although the Bluegill grows to only about 9 inches in length and weighs less than a pound, it has a reputation as one of the best fighting game fish.
State Mineral
The General Assembly established Fluorite as the state mineral in 1965. Illinois is the largest producer of Fluorite in the United States. Fluorite is used in making steel, enamels, aluminum, glass, and many chemicals.
State Animal
Illinois schoolchildren voted to select the white-tailed deer as the state animal in 1980. The vote was made official by the General Assembly in 1982.
State Fossil
The Tully Monster is the state fossil. The Tully Monster was a soft-bodied marine animal that lived 280 to 340 million years ago. More than 100 Tully Monster fossils have been found in Illinois.
State Dance
The Square Dance was designated as the official state dance in 1990.
State Prairie Grass
In 1989 the Big Bluestem became the state prairie grass. The General Assembly adopted this designation following a poll of students conducted by the Illinois Department of Conservation.
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