53-543: The Bear Flag is the official flag of the U.S. state of California . The precursor of the flag was first flown during the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt and was also known as the Bear Flag. A predecessor, called the Lone Star Flag, was used in an 1836 independence movement; the red star element from that flag appears in the Bear Flag of today. The 1911 statute stated: The bear flag is hereby selected and adopted as
106-561: A bear, along with Missouri . In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial, and Canadian provincial flags and ranked the flag of California 13th out of 50 U.S. states, and the best flag that contains words, specifically the state's name. The 1953 legislation defined the exact shades of the California flag with
159-470: A black bear painted on it." Duncan Beaumont raised a Pacific Republic flag from his boat in the Stockton to show his loyalty to secession. A party of men raised a banner containing a small American flag in the top corner and in the center a huge eagle with a grizzly bear below it. It was cut down by a different group of loyal unionists later in the day. The group thought it was a sign of disunion, but
212-679: A citizen-led committee reviewed over one hundred designs and allowed residents to vote on the five finalists in an online poll. In addition to Burlington and Norman, more than 300 cities across the U.S. have changed their flag designs since the release of the YouTube video. In 2022, NAVA counted at least 312 cities that had changed their flags since 2015 but speculated that the number was probably much higher. Ted Kaye has consulted numerous artists, citizens, and officials on designing new flags for cities. While all 20 finalists for Utah's flag adhered to NAVA's guidelines, many of them faced criticism from
265-478: A company meeting it was determined that we should raise a flag and that it should be a bear en passant [a heraldry term signifying that the bear is walking toward the viewer's left], with one star. One of the ladies at the garrison gave us a piece of brown domestic, and Mrs. Captain John Sears gave us some strips of red flannel about 4 inches wide. The domestic was new, but the flannel was said to have been part of
318-504: A date between the 14th and the 17th, by the men who became known as the "Bear Flaggers", including William B. Ide . The exact creation date is at least somewhat unclear. However, U.S. Naval Lieutenant John Missroon reported the flag's existence as of June 17, 1846. William L. Todd was a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln . According to the book Flags Over California , published by the California Military Department,
371-497: A flag should "be distinctive or be related," i.e. it shouldn't be too similar to other flags but can use related symbolism to show connections. The first principle is that a flag should be simple, notably using a child's ability to draw it from memory as a measurement of simplicity. In 2015, NAVA secretary Ted Kaye joined the redesign committee for Fiji to advise the government on a potential redesign of their flag . In 2016, then Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced that Fiji
424-538: A large circle in the centre, representing the great seal of the State ." The flag of the governor of California consists of the seal of California centered on a field of azure . Like many other U.S. governors' flags , there are four five-point stars at the corners of the field. The flag of California serves as a basis for the flag of the fictional New California Republic in the popular post-apocalyptic Fallout franchise. US state flags The flags of
477-402: A monochrome background, commonly white or blue. The result of this survey has later motivated flag redesign proposals in states with flags in this category. The survey concluded that New Mexico had the best-designed flag of any U.S. state and the best overall while Quebec scored highest among Canadian provinces and third overall behind New Mexico and Texas . Georgia's state flag at that time
530-557: A passion for flag design at an early age. Prior to NAVA's founding, Smith worked with Guyanese President Cheddi Jagan to design Guyana's new flag in the early 1960s. Since its founding, the association has met annually across the United States and Canada to present and discuss research, share their passion for flags, and to honor vexillological achievement. Smith, in his capacity as president, assisted numerous governments on designing their flags, including Aruba , Bonaire , and
583-464: A petticoat worn by Mrs. Sears across the mountains...I took a pen, and with ink drew the outline of the bear and star upon the white cloth. Linseed oil and Venetian red were found in the garrison, and I painted the bear and star...Underneath the bear and star were printed with a pen the words 'California Republic' in Roman letters. In painting the words I first lined out the letters with a pen, leaving out
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#1732757154474636-453: A public effort to change the flag of Oregon. Despite a strong public response, the group failed to find a lawmaker to take up the redesign proposal in the state's 2009 legislative session. After discovering NAVA's 2004 survey on city flags, American radio host and podcaster Roman Mars began to cover the topic on his show 99% Invisible in late 2014. In early 2015, his Ted Talk covering NAVA's five principles titled Why city flags may be
689-668: A total of five colors (including the white field) relative to the 9th edition of the Standard Color Card of America (now called the Standard Color Reference of America). It is one of only four US state flags not to include the color blue, along with Alabama , Maryland , and New Mexico . In 1836, a coup led by Juan Alvarado declared Alta California's independence from Mexico. Declaring himself governor, Alvarado recruited U.S. frontiersmen, led by Isaac Graham , to support him. The rebels easily captured
742-486: Is a membership organization devoted to vexillology , the study of flags . It was founded in 1967 by American vexillologist Whitney Smith , and others. Its membership of 1,100+ comprises flag scholars, enthusiasts, designers, collectors, conservators, educators, merchants, manufacturers, historians, and hobbyists from most states and provinces of the United States and Canada , and more than 30 other countries. In
795-660: Is often called the "Bear Flag" and in fact, the present statute adopting the flag, California Government Code § 420 , states: "The Bear Flag is the State Flag of California." Pursuant to Section 439 of the California Government Code , the regulations and protocols for the proper display of the flag of California is controlled by the California Adjutant General : The Adjutant General shall, by regulation, prescribe rules regarding
848-489: Is on the left. The flag is also used as the state ensign . The first official version of the Bear Flag was adopted by the California State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Hiram Johnson in 1911 as the official state flag. The contemporary state flag is white with a wide red strip along the bottom. There is a red star in the upper left corner and a grizzly bear facing left (toward
901-611: Is that of Minnesota , adopted on May 11, 2024, while the most recently adopted territorial flag is that of the Northern Mariana Islands , adopted on July 1, 1985. The flag of the District of Columbia was adopted in 1938. Recent legislations in Massachusetts (2021) and Illinois (2024) have started the process of redesigning their state flag. Maine and Michigan also have plans to redesign their flags in
954-2409: The North American Vexillological Association , New Mexico has the best-designed flag of any U.S. state, U.S. territory, or Canadian province , while Georgia's state flag was rated the worst (the latter of which has been changed since the survey was conducted). Listed by order of statehood (and for the first thirteen, the order of their ratification of the US Constitution) with their respective date of adoption. Flag of Delaware (July 24, 1913) Flag of Pennsylvania (June 13, 1907) Flag of New Jersey (May 11, 1896) Flag of Georgia (February 19, 2003) Flag of Connecticut (September 9, 1897) Flag of Massachusetts (July 3, 1971) Flag of Maryland (March 9, 1904) Flag of South Carolina (January 26, 1861) Flag of New Hampshire (January 1, 1932) Flag of Virginia (February 1, 1950) Flag of New York (April 2, 2020) Flag of North Carolina (June 24, 1991) Flag of Rhode Island (November 1, 1897) Flag of Vermont (June 1, 1923) Flag of Kentucky (June 14, 1962) Flag of Tennessee (April 17, 1905) Flag of Ohio (May 9, 1902) Flag of Louisiana (November 22, 2010) Flag of Indiana (May 31, 1917) Flag of Mississippi (January 11, 2021) Flag of Illinois (September 17, 1969) Flag of Alabama (February 16, 1895) Flag of Maine (February 23, 1909) Flag of Missouri (March 22, 1913) Flag of Arkansas (February 28, 2011) Flag of Michigan (August 1, 1911) Flag of Florida (May 21, 1985) Flag of Texas (January 25, 1839) Flag of Iowa (March 29, 1921) Flag of Wisconsin (May 1, 1981) Flag of California (February 3, 1911) Flag of Minnesota (May 11, 2024) Flag of Oregon (obverse) (April 15, 1925) Flag of Oregon (reverse) Flag of Kansas (September 24, 1961) Flag of West Virginia (March 7, 1929) Flag of Nevada (July 25, 1991) Flag of Nebraska (July 16, 1963) Flag of Colorado (March 31, 1964) Flag of North Dakota (March 11, 1911) Flag of South Dakota (November 9, 1992) Flag of Montana (July 1, 1981) Flag of Washington (April 1, 1967) Flag of Idaho (March 12, 1907) Flag of Wyoming (January 31, 1917) North American Vexillological Association The North American Vexillological Association ( NAVA )
1007-562: The Saudi Arabian navy . In 1969, it became a charter member of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations . In 2001, NAVA published a survey ranking all 72 flags of the states and territories of the United States and all the provinces and territories of Canada . The survey notably resulted in low scores being given to flags that shared an identical design pattern: the state seal superimposed on
1060-645: The Stars and stripes (Sometimes with patriotic mottos), Union club flags, Militia flags, German flags , and Irish flags . During the war, Union soldiers routinely took action against secessionists who ran up Confederate flags in many places, including above the California statehouse in Sacramento, then disappeared before they could be caught. On July 4, 1861, during U.S. Independence Day celebrations in Sacramento , Democrat and veteran Maj. J. P. Gillis celebrated
1113-604: The U.S. states , territories , and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Modern U.S. state flags date from the turn of the 20th century, when states considered distinctive symbols for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago , Illinois . Most U.S. state flags were designed and adopted between 1893 and World War I . The most recently adopted state flag
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#17327571544741166-465: The United States and Canada for all those interested in flags to present and discuss research, share their passion for flags, and to honor vexillological achievement. Since 1977, it has marked each meeting with a distinctive flag. NAVA honors achievement in the field with several honors and awards: In addition to "Good" Flag, "Bad" Flag and its surveys, NAVA publishes Raven: A Journal of Vexillology, an annual peer-reviewed journal and Vexillum ,
1219-448: The 21st century, many state and municipal bodies have re-evaluated and introduced measures to change their flags, often influenced and initiated by NAVA's surveys on flag design. Some of their design processes have followed a set of flag design principles compiled by Ted Kaye and published by NAVA. The North American Vexillological Association was formed in 1967 by Whitney Smith. Smith, a political science student at Harvard University had
1272-458: The NAVA principles. In addition to general design criticisms, the flags of Mississippi, Georgia, and Minnesota faced further criticism for racist imagery. Mississippi and Georgia's flags invoked Confederate imagery while Minnesota's depicted a white settler displacing a Native American in a negationist manner. Three other states are in various stages of the redesign process. An effort to change
1325-589: The bear on the flag. The Bear Flag given to young Montgomery returned with USS Portsmouth to the east coast of the U.S. in 1848, but in 1855 was returned to California. The flag was given to California's two senators, John B. Weller and William M. Gwin. This flag was donated to the Society of California Pioneers on September 8, 1855, and was preserved at the Society's Pioneer Halls in San Francisco until it
1378-423: The capital Monterey , but were unable to convince southern leaders such as Juan Bandini and Carlos Antonio Carrillo to join the rebellion. Faced with a civil war, Alvarado and the other Californios negotiated a compromise with the central government wherein California's leaders accepted its status as a "department" under the " Siete Leyes " Mexican constitution of 1836, in return for more local control. Alvarado
1431-535: The capital of Alta California, and claimed the territory for the United States. Two days later, on July 9, 1846, Navy Lieutenant Joseph Warren Revere arrived in Sonoma and hauled down the Bear Flag, running up in its place the Stars and Stripes . The Bear Flag was given to young John E. Montgomery (son of Commander John B. Montgomery of USS Portsmouth ), who would later write in a letter to his mother "Cuffy came down growling"—"Cuffy" being his nickname for
1484-506: The center of the white field a California grizzly bear upon a grass plat, in the position of walking toward the left of the said field; said bear shall be dark brown in color and in length, equal to one-third of the length of said flag. In 1953, the design and specifications for the state flag were standardized in a bill signed by Governor Earl Warren and illustrated by Donald Graeme Kelley of Marin County, California. The Californian state flag
1537-529: The day after they raised it in a different part of town to show their support for the Union. Soon secessionist across the state started raising other flags to express their sympathy for the Confederacy. These include: Palmetto flags , 7 stars flags, Stars and Bars , rattlesnake flags , and 15-22 stars US flags. Not to be out done Unionist had lots of flags too show support for the United States. The flags were
1590-454: The flag back. No one tried. Because Gillis' flag was seized by Jack Biderman, it is referred to either as the "Biderman Flag" or the "Gillis Flag." The flag is preserved in the state capitol . In June of 1861, San Fransisco's board of supervisors ordered three flags to be made by Norcross. One of them was based on the first state flag, with the " California Coat of arms " added to its field. It cost $ 50 ($ 1,791 adjusted for inflation) to make and
1643-413: The flag manufacturer. In 1953 the bear image was standardized based on an 1855 watercolor by Charles Christian Nahl . The 1953 law includes an official black and white rendering of the bear as well as the plot of grass and brown tufts. This drawing and other specifications that define the flag's colors and dimensions are identified as "54-J-03". The Californian flag is one of two U.S. state flags to depict
Flag of California - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-470: The future, but these have not been confirmed, though Maine has planned to put a flag redesign on the ballot in November of 2024. Despite a variety of designs, the majority of the states' flags share the same design pattern consisting of the state seal superimposed on a monochrome background, commonly a shade of blue, which remains a source of criticism from vexillologists . According to a 2001 survey by
1749-534: The hoist) in the center, walking on a patch of green grass. The size of the bear is ⅔ the size of the hoist width and has a ratio of 2 by 1. The grass plot has a ratio of 11 to 1. The five-point star is taken from the California Lone Star Flag of 1836. The hoist of the flag is two-thirds the fly. The bear on one 1911 version of the flag is claimed to have been modeled on the last California grizzly bear in captivity. The bear, named " Monarch ",
1802-490: The independence of the United States from Great Britain and the secession of the Confederacy by unfurling a flag based on the first Confederate flag, the Stars and Bars , but containing seventeen stars rather than the Confederate banner's seven, and marching down the street to the cheers of pro-slavery individuals. Unionist Jack Biderman denounced Gillis, tore the flag from his hands, and taunted secessionists to try to take
1855-479: The letter 'i' and putting 'c' where 'i' should have been, and afterwards the 'i' over the 'c'. It was made with ink, and we had nothing to remove the marks. The original Bear Flag and the republic it symbolized had a brief career, from about June 14 until July 9. On July 7, 1846, Commodore John Drake Sloat of the United States Navy's Pacific Squadron first raised the 28-star American flag at Monterey ,
1908-419: The public and lawmakers. Utah state representative Andrew Stoddard , for instance, expressed concern that one of the finalists bore too much of a resemblance to the logo of Delta Air Lines . Minnesota's new state flag has also been met with criticism from right-wing commentators, who have said it looks too similar to the national flag of Somalia . Since 1967, the association has held annual meetings across
1961-531: The redesign of flags for cities and states across North America. This impact is evident as numerous design committees have actively incorporated NAVA's guidelines into their submission requirements. In some instances, officials have sought out NAVA members such as Ted Kaye to assist with the redesign process. According to NAVA, at least 312 cities in the United States have changed their designs since 2015. As of 2024, four states have changed their flags while three others are in various stages of redesigning theirs. Since
2014-409: The release of the survey in 2001 and the book in 2006, Mississippi , Georgia , Utah , and Minnesota have changed their designs and replaced their old flags. NAVA's five principles have been cited by citizen activists and by lawmakers for changing these flags. Minnesota state legislator Peter Fischer , who established the committee change his state's flag and seal, cited a TED talk by Roman Mars on
2067-558: The star on the flag recalled the 1836 California Lone Star Flag. Todd, in an 1878 letter to the Los Angeles Express , states that the star was drawn using blackberry juice and in recognition of the California Lone Star Flag. The bear was designed to be a symbol of strength and unyielding resistance. According to the Sonoma State Historic Park , the construction of the flag was described as such: At
2120-546: The start of an effort by NAVA to change the flag. Manitoba had ranked the lowest of all Canadian provinces on NAVA's 2001 flag survey. The release of "Good" Flag, "Bad" Flag and the surveys of state and city flags in the early 2000s have boosted public awareness about state and municipal flags. This has led to residents in states and cities that are represented by flags that rank poorly with NAVA, or that are otherwise considered to be bad or offensive designs, to launch efforts to redesign them. NAVA has had considerable influence on
2173-469: The state flag of Massachusetts is currently being studied by their state legislature . In 2023, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker signed a bill to study a replacement for their state flag . Maine held a referendum in 2024 to replace their current flag with a previous design , which failed with only 44.55% in favor of the change. Not all state flag redesign efforts have been successful. In 2009, NAVA worked alongside The Oregonian to launch
Flag of California - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-426: The state flag of California. ... The said bear flag shall consist of a flag of a length equal to one and one-half the width thereof; the upper five-sixths of the width thereof to be a white field, and the lower sixth of the width thereof to be a red stripe; there shall appear in the white field in the upper left-hand corner a single red star , and at the bottom of the white field the words ' California Republic ,' and in
2279-470: The times, places, and the manner in which the State Flag may be displayed. He shall, periodically, compile the laws and regulations regarding the State Flag. Copies of the compilation shall be printed and made available to the public at cost by the Department of General Services. When the flag is displayed vertically, it is rotated 90 degrees clockwise such that the bear and star face upward and red stripe
2332-659: The worst designs of all time. In 2022, NAVA published a survey assessing redesigned city flags that 312 cities had introduced since 2015. In this survey, the flag of Tulsa was ranked as the best redesign while the flag of Ranger, Texas was ranked the worst. Pocatello, who changed their flag in 2017, came in as the 11th-best flag among those surveyed. In 2006, NAVA published a general purpose guidebook to effective flag design, "Good" Flag, "Bad" Flag. The book includes five basic principles. These principles recommend that flags avoid using letters or seals, include meaningful symbolism, and employ two or three basic colors. They also say
2385-406: The worst-designed thing you've never noticed went viral, garnering over five million views. Influenced by the video, many cities across the U.S. began to review their flag design. One such person was Miro Weinberger , mayor of Burlington, Vermont , who launched an effort in early 2017 to change the city flag after watching the video. He instructed the city's arts department to replace it within
2438-780: The year. Burlington consulted with NAVA's Ted Kaye to provide expertise, and he was directly involved in the process. Part of the redesign process required those involved to read " Good" Flag, "Bad" Flag and watch the Roman Mars video. A new flag was approved by the city council in November and unveiled in December. Citizens have also started efforts to change city flags. Gabriel Bird, a dentist in Norman, Oklahoma , launched an effort to re-design his city's flag in 2016 after learning about Mars' criticisms of city flags and reading NAVA's five principles. Norman adopted its new flag in 2020 after
2491-455: Was abandoning plans to change the flag after the country won its first ever Olympic gold medal. Celebrations across the country prominently featured the flag and renewed national interest in it. In 2024, the Manitoba chapter of NAVA released a public survey asking for the opinion of Manitobans on their current flag and whether they would support the pursuit of a new provincial flag, signaling
2544-576: Was appointed governor the next year. The Lone Star Flag of California, associated with Alvarado's rebellion, contained a single red star on a white background. One last original flag is archived at the Autry National Center . The original grizzly bear flag was created by Peter Storm. A version of this bear flag, designed by William L. Todd, was raised in Sonoma, California , in June 1846 on
2597-476: Was captured in 1889 by newspaper reporter Allan Kelly, at the behest of William Randolph Hearst . The bear was subsequently moved to Woodwards Gardens in San Francisco, and then to the zoo at Golden Gate Park . After the bear's death in 1911, it was mounted and preserved at the Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park. While the bear flag was adopted in 1911, until 1953 the image of the bear varied depending on
2650-604: Was destroyed on April 18, 1906, in the fires that followed the great San Francisco earthquake . Today, a replica hangs on display in the Sonoma Barracks, or El Presidio de Sonoma . There is also a statue in the plaza at Sonoma, California, commemorating the raising of the flag, the Bear Flag Monument. During the secession crisis and the early part of the American Civil War in 1861, California
2703-592: Was divided between supporters of the union and supporters of southern secession. In the months leading up to the war, some opposed to the government in Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County showed support for secession by flying variants of the Bear Flag instead of the Stars and Stripes. One version of the Bear Flag that was flown on May 29 in Los Angeles was described as "...a deep red flag with
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#17327571544742756-478: Was hung in the chamber of the board of supervisors with the other two flags. A year later a banner of similar design was hung in the city, but the seal was encircled by small American flags. On July 14, 1864, a party under Gen. McDowell took a ship around the Bay Area to inspect the fortifications. The ship, called The Goliah , flew the flag of the United States and a state flag described as "...a body of red with
2809-555: Was rated the worst U.S. flag and worst flag overall while Manitoba's was the worst rated Canadian flag. NAVA followed up its 2001 survey of state flags with a survey of city flags in 2004. The flag of Washington, D.C. came in first place while the flag of Pocatello, Idaho was ranked as the worst. American podcaster Roman Mars called the Pocatello flag the worst flag in North America, and it frequently features on lists of
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