Flag of Vermont facts for kids
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| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted | June 1, 1923 |
| Design | The Vermont state coat of arms defacing a field of azure. |
The flag of the state of Vermont shows the state's coat of arms and its motto, "Freedom and Unity". This is all placed on a blue background. The Vermont General Assembly, which is like Vermont's parliament, officially chose this flag on June 1, 1923.
Over time, Vermont has used different flags. The first one looked like the flag of the Green Mountain Boys. Later flags looked a bit like the flag of the United States, but they were changed again to avoid confusion.
What the Vermont Flag Means
The Vermont flag has the state's coat of arms and its motto on a blue background. The blue color is called azure in heraldry, which is the study of coats of arms and flags.
Many symbols on the flag show what Vermont is known for:
- The pine tree in the middle of the coat of arms stands for Vermont's many forests.
- The cow and three bundles of wheat represent Vermont's important dairy and farming industries.
- The deer head at the top shows Vermont's wildlife.
- The Green Mountains are also in the background.
- The motto, "Freedom and Unity", is very important. It means balancing the freedom of each person with what is good for everyone in the state.
History of Vermont's Flags
| Historic Vermont Flags |
|---|
 Green Mountain Boys Flag, used from 1791 to 1804. |
.svg) The second flag of Vermont, used from 1804 to 1837. |
.svg) The third flag of Vermont, used from 1837 to 1923. |
Before 1804, there isn't a clear record of an official Vermont state flag. However, the Green Mountain Boys, a local militia group, used their own flag as early as 1777. This flag is known as the Flag of the Green Mountain Boys.
On May 1, 1804, Vermont adopted a new flag. At that time, the United States had 17 states. People thought the U.S. flag would change to have 17 stars and 17 stripes. So, Vermont made its flag look like the expected new U.S. flag, but with the word "VERMONT" added at the top. However, the U.S. flag did not change that way, so Vermont's flag ended up with more stripes than the national flag.
On October 20, 1837, Vermont changed its flag again. This new flag looked more like the U.S. flag with its 13 stripes. Instead of many stars in the blue corner, Vermont's flag had one large star. Inside this star was either the Great Seal or the coat of arms.
During big wars like the American Civil War and World War I, Vermont's soldiers often fought under a flag that showed the Coat of arms of Vermont on a blue background. This flag was very similar to the one the Vermont Governor used.
Because the striped Vermont state flag was sometimes confused with the U.S. flag, the design of the Governor's flag was chosen as the official state flag on June 1, 1923. This is the flag Vermont uses today.
See also
In Spanish: Bandera de Vermont para niños
