Georgia state flag history. The flag bears three stripes consisting of red white red featuring a blue canton containing a ring of 13 white stars encompassing the states coat of arms in gold. The eve of the civil war 1861 65 georgia did not have an official state flag. In 1861 a new provision was added to georgias code requiring the.
That flag was introduced by john sammons bell an outspoken supporter of segregation and. The banner most likely originated in one of the numerous militia units that existed in antebellum georgia. It has three stripes red white and red and a blue canton featuring a ring of 13 stars surrounding the state coat of arms.
The georgia state flag was changed feb. United states flag store carries a variety of these historical flags including high quality reproductions of the 1956 georgia state flag featuring confederate stars and bars. The current flag of the state of georgia was adopted on may 8 2003.
Although the bonnie blue flag is the best known example a better documented flag consisted of a single red star on a white field. The state of georgia tops the entire nation of the united states for the number of previous state flags. Georgia became the 4 th of the original 13 colonies to become a state in the union on january 2 1788.
From 1956 to 2001 the georgia state flag prominently incorporated the confederate battle flag. A short history of the georgia state flag in 1733 georgia was founded by the british in 1733 and named after king george ii. State flags of georgia history does not record who made the first georgia state flag when it was made what it looked like or who authorized its creation.
After the states secession from the union on january 19 1861 there were several newspaper reports of secession flags consisting of a single star on a solid background. 13 1956 incorporating a confederate battle emblem into the design as a response to the supreme court rulings on desegregating schools. Understandably the history of georgias state flag is extensive.
For example in a little more than two years time between january 2001 and may 2003 georgia changed its state flag three times. Georgia is one of those states whose flag recalls the confederacywhich used a version of the. It became a state after the revolutionary war in 1776 and seceded from the union in 1861.
Underneath the small flags was the motto in god we trust. Historical flags of georgia have come under fire time and again but that doesnt stop them from being an integral part of the states history.