Florida State Flags

Florida is heavily focused on the tourist trade - the beaches are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Florida, along with some of the world's best known theme parks, including Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. The Sunshine State also relies heavily on international trade, agriculture, aerospace and aviation, and the life sciences.

The design of the Florida state flag has changed more often than many other U.S. state flags , so the flag of Florida is one of the youngest in the Union despite the fact that it was one of the first states to have a flag of its own. Florida represented itself with the Spanish flag until it joined the United States in 1845. It did not have a state flag of its own until 1861, when it succeeded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. That flag fell out of use after the end of the war, but it was replaced in 1868 with a white flag that displayed the state seal in the center.

After the end of the Indian war, many persons came to make their homes in Florida, towns grew, and people began to think that it was time for the Territory to become a State. Congress agreed that Florida should come into the Union as one State, and the bill was signed by President Tyler, March 3, 1845.

What is the Design of the Florida State Flag?

The flag of Florida consists of a red saltire on a white background, with the state seal superimposed on the center. On a white field emblazoned with a red X and the state seal - the seal features a brilliant sun, a cabbage palmetto tree, a steamboat sailing and a Native American Seminole woman scattering flowers. The seal is encircled with the words "Great Seal of the State of Florida", and "In God We Trust" (the state motto).

What does the Florida State Flag Represent?

Florida's flag represents the land of sunshine, flowers, palm trees, rivers and lakes. Sabal palms are the official state tree of Florida, while the ship is a symbol of Florida's importance in naval trade between North America and the Caribbean islands. The Seminole tribe was one of the most influential Native American groups in Florida, and the inclusion of a Seminole woman on the seal represents the tribe's importance in the state's history.

When was the Florida State Flag Adopted?

The next state flag was established on January 13, 1861, following the secession of Florida from the Union. Many banners have flown over Florida prior to 1868, including the flags of Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederate States, and the national flag of the USA. The original 1868 flag of Florida was simply the Florida state seal centered on a field of white. The flag's current design has been in use since May 21, 1985, after the state seal was graphically altered and officially sanctioned for use by state officials.

Adopted in 1900, the flag recalls the Southern Cross used by the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Did the Florida State Flag Undergo Changes Before?

Between 1868 and 1900, the flag of Florida was simply the state seal on a white background. In a discrepancy, however, a later version of the state seal depicts a steamboat with a white flag that includes a red saltire, similar to Florida's current flag. In the late 1890s, Governor Francis P. Fleming advocated that St. Andrew's Cross be added so that it would not appear to be a white flag of truce hanging still on a flagpole. Floridians approved the addition of St. Andrew's Cross by popular referendum in 1900. The addition was made during a period of nostalgia for the "Lost Cause" around the time of the flag's change. In the rewriting of the Constitution in 1968, the dimensions were dropped and became statutory language. The flag is described in these words: "The seal of the state, of diameter one half the hoist, in the center of a white ground. Red bars in width one fifth the hoist extending from each corner toward the center, to the outer rim of the seal."

In 1970 Florida's official seal was updated. The cocoa tree became a Sabal palmetto palm (the state tree of Florida), the headdress was removed from the Native American woman (headdresses were only worn by men), and the woman was depicted as a Florida Seminole (originally she was dressed as a Native American of the western Plains).

On May 21, 1985, an artistic revision of the seal was made, resulting in the present design of the flag.

Why is Florida called the Sunshine State?

The official nickname of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted as the State Nickname by the 1970 Legislature. There is some confusion as to where Florida got its name. It was either named after its beautiful flowers (Florida means "flowery" in Spanish), or after the Easter day on which it was discovered (the holiday is called "Pascua florida" in Spanish). The state's official nickname is the "Sunshine State."