flag of Florida

The first flag of Florida was hoisted on June 25, 1845, at the inauguration of its first governor, William D. Moseley. It had five horizontal stripes (blue, orange, red, white, and green) and a ribbon with the inscription “Let us alone.” The U.S. flag served as a canton. The states’ rights and antifederalist symbolism in the design is clear, but the associations of the colours are unknown; in any event the flag seems not to have been extensively used. The next state flag was established on January 13, 1861, following the secession of Florida from the Union. The design, prescribed by the commander of the state’s armed forces, was similar in many respects to the Stars and Stripes; it consisted of 13 red and white horizontal stripes and a white star on a blue canton. The next flag, dating to September 13, 1861, was based on the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy; it had red-white-red horizontal stripes and a vertical blue stripe bearing an elaborate seal.

After the Civil War, Florida was the first Southern state to adopt a flag of its own. On August 6, 1868, the state seal was designated to appear in the centre of a white flag; the design showed an American Indian woman on a promontory extending into water where a steamboat was sailing. A band with the state name and the motto “In God we trust” completed the design. On November 6, 1900, a red saltire was added to the background of the flag so it would not resemble a symbol of surrender. That design may also have been based on the saltire in the Confederate Battle Flag. On May 21, 1985, an artistic revision of the seal was made, resulting in the present design of the flag.