New Hampshire State Flag

State Flag of New Hampshire

The flag of New Hampshire follows the same pattern as nearly half of the other state flags in America, but its unique features are sufficient to distinguish it from the rest of the flags in the Union. It reflects the state's history, which can be traced back to the earliest days of the United States of America.

Colors and Symbolism of New Hampshire State Flag

The state flag of New Hampshire features the state seal of New Hampshire on a dark blue field. The blue field came from the blue canton of the American national flag, which hints at New Hampshire's position as part of a larger union. The state seal is dominated by an image of the USS Raleigh, which was one of the first ships to be constructed for the American navy during the Revolutionary War.

History of the New Hampshire Flag

The New Hampshire flag, like many other state flags, dates back to the earliest years of the 20th century. The New Hampshire State Legislature authorized the flag in 1909, and the specifications of the design have never changed. The flag has always consisted of the state seal on a blue field, but changes to the seal have necessitated changes to the flag despite the fact that the legislature has never directly authorized a new design for the New Hampshire flag.

The government of New Hampshire decided to change the design of the state seal in 1931, and so the state flag's design had to change at the same time. The original seal displayed the USS Raleigh in the background, and many of the details had been left vague. The design often changed when the physical seal had to be replaced, which had lead to inconsistency in the various depictions of the seal, including on the state's flags. The 1931 design both moved the ship to the center of the seal to ensure that it caught the eye of the viewer and went into greater detail about the design's specifications. The change creates the modern design for both the state seal and the state flag of New Hampshire, which has not undergone any changes since that time.

A short history of the New Hampshire State flag
New Hampshire was the first to declare its independence of Great Britain on June 15, 1776 and was one of the original states of the Union. The seal has the optimistic rising sun in the background with a ship in the shipbuilding yard at Portsmouth, supposedly the Raleigh. The Raleigh was first launched in 1776, and was one of the earliest ships of the U.S. Navy. In 1784 the seal was adopted and used as a military flag from 1792 on a blue background. The state flag with the addition of nine stars within a laurel wreath was adopted in February 1909. The seal was redrawn and used on the flag in 1931. 1776 replaced the date of 1784 at the foot of the original seal, which was the state's independence declaration. Some attempts were made in 1944 to redesign the flag completely but it came to nothing.

A short history of New Hampshire (The Granite State)
The state lies between Canada and Massachusetts Bay. Inland are the granite-based mountains that give New Hampshire its nickname. It became a separate province in 1679. In 1776, an independent state government was set up, and on June 21, 1787 the state ratified the U.S. Constitution.

Area of New Hampshire: 9,279 sq. miles
Capital: Concord
Major Products: hay, vegetables, apples, livestock, machinery, metal ware, stone
State Motto: Live free or die