Flag of Kansas
Kansas became the 34th state admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, and The flag of Kansas was adopted in 1927, with an original design that featured a sunflower and the state seal. This original design was modified in 1961 to add the name of the state at the bottom of the flag.
The design of the flag is a symbol of “our devotion to liberty and equality” and features a sunflower on a blue background with gold letters that say “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (To the Stars Through Difficulties). The flag also has 34 white stars on it (for each star on our national flag), which represent all of Kansas’ counties at that time.
Seal of Kansas
The seal of Kansas, The sunflower is an important symbol for the state and was first elected in 1861 by the territorial legislature. The buffalo was added in 1866 and symbolizes the importance of this animal to the Native Americans who once inhabited northeastern Kansas. Finally, the Jayhawk is a symbol that dates back to 1854 when it was chosen as a mascot by college students at Fort Leavenworth.
History
Kansas was admitted to the union in 1861, making it the 34th state. It is also known as “The Sunflower State” because of the sunflower symbol on its flag. The motto of Kansas is “Ad Astra Per Aspera” which means “To the Stars Through Difficulties”.
Kansas is a member of the Midwest region and has borders with Nebraska on its north, Missouri on its east and Oklahoma on its southeast corner.
The official flag of Kansas, flown by the Governor, is dark-blue silk, upon which is embroidered a sunflower and beneath it in gold letters “KANSAS.” Above it on a scroll is inscribed `AD ASTRA PER ASPERA,’ meaning “to the stars through difficulty.” Around this device are 34 stars in gold, symbolizing that Kansas was the 34th state admitted to the Union. On the blue field at the bottom appears in gold letters THIS IS THE PLACE, which commemorates an incident on July 4, 1804, where Lewis and Clark unloaded gear here for their expedition up the Missouri River.
The flag of Kansas is a sunflower on a blue background. “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” meaning “to the stars through difficulty” is written on a gold scroll above the sunflower and 34 stars are at bottom of flag symbolizing that Kansas was the 34th state admitted to the Union (July 4, 1864).
Design & Symbols
The design of the flag consists of a white diamond-shaped field with a blue rectangle and a red hand in the centre. The hand signifies that this is an agricultural state. The white diamond shape represents Kansas as a land of waving wheat. This is also represented by the seal on the flag, which includes a farmer ploughing his field and two sheaves of wheat resting across his arm. The farmer honours one historical figure from Kansas named John Brown who fought for abolitionism in Virginia before moving westward to fight against slavery in Nebraska Territory (now known as modern-day Kansas).
Two sunflowers, a state flower, flank the flag’s central seal. The seal contains the words, “This is the place” as well as an image of two men shaking hands in front of a steamboat and a mountain range. This is meant to represent the meeting of two different cultures, the indigenous tribes and European settlers who came together to create Kansas.
The flag has a number of symbolism:
- Rolling hills identify the terrain near Fort Riley.
- The gold and blue bar symbolize that Kansas was part of the Louisiana Purchase.
- American Indians hunting bison are reminders of the people who settled in Kansas earlier.
- The 34 stars surrounding this central seal represent each state that was admitted into the union before 1861, when Kansas was admitted, plus one extra star, for Vermont.
- Teams of oxen and a pair of prairie schooners suggest the advance of the frontier.
- Ploughed fields represent the importance of agriculture in Kansas.
- The log house speaks of settlement.
- The state motto, Ad Astra Per Aspera, to the stars through difficulty, reminds us of the struggles settlers
lived through during the territorial years in order to achieve statehood.
Previous iteration: Hazel Avery’s original flag design was used from 1927 until 1961.
Conclusion
The flag of Kansas is a great example of how a simple design can be turned into something beautiful. The sunflower design on the flag was used because it represents the state flower and also pays homage to Kansas’s agricultural roots. This flag is one that you can proudly fly outside in front of your home or business!
Find out more about the neighbouring states:
