flag of Minnesota

The first state flag, adopted in 1893 and designed by Amelia Hyde Center, had on the obverse side a white field bearing the seal, the name of the state, and 19 gold stars symbolizing Minnesota as the 19th state to follow the original 13; the reverse of the flag was plain blue. That flag was little used, in part because its design was not easy to manufacture in quantity. On March 19, 1957, a new design was established; the background of the flag, like that of many other state flags, was henceforth to be blue on both sides. The central design from the original flag of 1893 appeared in circular form on both sides of the new flag.

On August 1, 1983, modifications were made in the state seal, and thus to the flag. Previously, the Native American on horseback in the seal had been shown fleeing a rural landscape in which a farmer was plowing while his musket and powder horn rested nearby. The revised design still included the mounted Native American and the other symbols, but it avoided the original suggestion that the advance of civilization requires the departure of the land’s original inhabitants. Also remaining in the seal were representations of St. Anthony Falls, a setting sun, and a border of lady’s slipper flowers together with the dates of the first European settlement in Minnesota (1819), its admission to statehood (1858), and the adoption of the first state flag. The state motto, “L’Étoile du nord” (“Star of the north”), was shown on a red ribbon. (Prior to the admission of Alaska to the union, Minnesota was the northernmost state.)

The state’s flag and seal were long criticized as being offensive to Minnesota’s Native American population. The flag was also critiqued for being too cluttered and for not meeting the generally accepted criteria of optimal flag design, which encourage the use of simple elements that are easily recognizable and simple to remember and reproduce. In 2023 Minnesota began redesigning its state emblems. The committee tasked with overseeing the process had the directive that “the designs must accurately and respectfully reflect Minnesota’s shared history, resources, and diverse cultural communities.” After reviewing many submissions from the public, the committee selected new seal and flag designs and submitted them to the state legislature and to the governor in December 2023. The new designs took effect on May 11, 2024, the anniversary of Minnesota’s admission to statehood.

The new flag design features a dark blue polygon at the hoist—the color representing the night sky and the shape, in the approximate outline of the state, representing the land on which all Minnesotans live. A white eight-pointed star on the dark blue field symbolizes the North Star and the aforementioned state motto. The rest of the flag, a lighter blue, symbolizes the state’s abundant waters. While some lauded the new flag, others disliked the design or complained about the expense of replacing the 1983 flag. Some also criticized the redesign process itself as being rushed and lacking input from most Minnesotans.