flag of Minnesota
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What is the flag of Minnesota?
The flag of Minnesota features a light blue background with a dark blue polygon at the hoist, containing a white eight-pointed star.
The first state flag, adopted in 1893, had a white field with the seal, the state's name, and 19 gold stars. A new design was established in 1957, with blue on both sides. Modifications were made to the state seal in 1983.
In 2023, Minnesota began redesigning its state emblems, with the new designs taking effect on May 11, 2024. The new flag design includes a dark blue polygon, representing the land, and a white eight-pointed star, symbolizing the North Star. The rest of the flag is a lighter blue, symbolizing the state’s waters.
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What colors are used in the Minnesota state flag?
The current flag of Minnesota uses light and dark blue and white. The dark blue polygon at the hoist represents the night sky and the approximate outline of the state. A white eight-pointed star on the dark blue field symbolizes the North Star, and the rest of the flag, a lighter blue, symbolizes the state’s waters.
The first state flag, adopted in 1893, featured a white field, the state seal, the state's name, and 19 gold stars. In 1957, a new design was established using blue on both sides. Modifications were made to the state seal in 1983, and in 2023 Minnesota began redesigning its state emblems. The new designs took effect on May 11, 2024.
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What images or symbols are shown on the Minnesota flag?
The flag of Minnesota features a light blue background with a dark blue polygon at the hoist, containing a white eight-pointed star.
The original flag, adopted in 1893, displayed the state seal, name, and 19 gold stars on a white field, symbolizing Minnesota as the 19th state after the original 13. The reverse side was plain blue. In 1957, a new design made both sides blue, with the original central design in circular form. Modifications in 1983 altered the state seal, which included a Native American on horseback, a farmer plowing, St. Anthony Falls, a setting sun, lady slipper flowers, and the state motto, "L’Étoile du nord".
In 2023, Minnesota began redesigning its state emblems, adopting a new flag design on May 11, 2024. The new flag includes a dark blue polygon with a white eight-pointed star, symbolizing the North Star, and a lighter blue field representing the state’s waters.
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What do the symbols on the Minnesota flag represent?
The flag of Minnesota has been redesigned as of May 11, 2024, the anniversary of Minnesota’s admission to statehood. The new flag features a dark blue polygon at the hoist, representing the land and night sky, with a white eight-pointed star symbolizing the North Star and state motto L’Étoile du Nord. The rest of the flag is a lighter blue, symbolizing the state’s waters.
The former flag, adopted in 1893 and modified in 1957 and 1983, was criticized as offensive to the state’s Native American population and for being too cluttered. The symbols on the former flag included a Native American on horseback, a farmer plowing, St. Anthony Falls, a setting sun, and lady’s slipper flowers.
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When was the current design of the Minnesota state flag adopted?
The current Minnesota state flag, featuring a light blue background with a dark blue polygon at the hoist containing a white eight-pointed star, was adopted on May 11, 2024. This design replaced the 1983 flag, which itself was a modification of the original 1893 flag. The redesign was initiated in 2023 to create emblems that accurately and respectfully reflect Minnesota’s shared history, resources, and diverse cultural communities. The dark blue polygon represents the night sky and the land, while the white star symbolizes the North Star and the state motto, "L’Étoile du Nord". The lighter blue symbolizes Minnesota’s waters.
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Has there been any discussion or effort to change the design of Minnesota's state flag?
Yes, there has been discussion and effort to change the design of Minnesota's state flag.
The flag and seal were criticized for being offensive to Minnesota’s Native American population, too cluttered, and not easily recognizable.
In 2023, Minnesota began redesigning its emblems, requiring the designs to reflect Minnesota’s history, resources, and diverse cultures. After reviewing public submissions, a committee selected new designs and submitted them to the state legislature and governor in December 2023. The new designs, which took effect on May 11, 2024, feature a dark blue polygon with a white eight-pointed star on a light blue background.
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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.
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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.