Flag Day is this week in the US. What to know about the state flag of Florida

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·4 min read
3
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Every year, on June 14, we honor Old Glory in the United States. It's called Flag Day.

The American flag is stunning with its red, white and blue colors and the stars representing all of the states in the union. It is more than worthy of a day of recognition and for a variety of reasons, but most of all the yearly honor has been bestowed to remind us what the flag stands for: Freedom.

For Floridians, natives and newcomers, this is a good time to take a closer at the state flag of Florida.

What was the first flag of Florida?

According to the Museum of Southern History, Florida's first flag had thirteen stripes — alternate red and white, and a blue field with a single star in the center. This flag served for eight months, from Jan. 13, 1861, to Sept. 13, 1861.

What is the image superimposed on the state flag of Florida?

Why do we celebrate Flag Day? Here are the do's and don'ts for the June 14 holiday

That is the Great Seal of Florida. According to starspangledflags.com, most U.S. state flags feature their state's official seal. Although there are exceptions, most U.S. state flags feature a similar design consisting of their state's official seal against a blue or other monochrome background. Connecticut and Delaware, for instance, use a simple design for their respective flags.

What is the story behind the diagonal red bars on the Florida state flag?

The Florida state flag hands behind Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden as he speaks at Southwest Focal Point Community Center in, Pembroke Pines, Fla., Tuesday Oct. 13, 2020.
The Florida state flag hands behind Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden as he speaks at Southwest Focal Point Community Center in, Pembroke Pines, Fla., Tuesday Oct. 13, 2020.

According to the Florida Department of State website:

  • Between 1868 and 1900, Florida's state flag consisted of a white field with the state seal in the center.

  • During the late 1890s, Gov. Francis P. Fleming suggested that a red cross be added, so that the banner did not appear to be a white flag of truce or surrender when hanging still on a flagpole.

  • The current design of Florida's state flag was adopted in 1900. In that year, Florida voters ratified a constitutional amendment based on an 1899 joint resolution of the state Legislature to add diagonal red bars, in the form of a St. Andrew's cross, to the flag.

  • In the rewriting of the Constitution in 1968, the dimensions were dropped and became statutory language. The flag is described in these words: "The seal of the state, of diameter one-half the hoist, in the center of a white ground. Red bars in width one-fifth the hoist extending from each corner toward the center, to the outer rim of the seal."

What is Florida's state flower? From fish to flowers, these are the official state symbols of Florida

What other flags have flown over Florida?

According to the Florida Department of State website, many flags have flown over Florida since European explorers first landed here in the early 16th century. Among these have been the flags of five nations: Spain, France, Great Britain, the United States and the Confederate States of America. Numerous other unofficial flags also have been flown on the peninsula at one time or another. Only a written description remains of some of these banners.

What are the protocols for displaying the state flag of Florida?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis throws hats to the crowd at an event held by the Never Back Down PAC featuring presidential candidate DeSantis in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis throws hats to the crowd at an event held by the Never Back Down PAC featuring presidential candidate DeSantis in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, June 10, 2023.

Florida Statute 256.015 (Display of state flag; protocol):

(1) The Governor shall adopt a protocol on flag display. The protocol must provide guidelines for the proper display of the state flag and for the lowering of the state flag to half-staff on appropriate occasions, such as on holidays and upon the death of high-ranking state officials, uniformed law enforcement and fire service personnel, and prominent citizens.

(2) The Governor may adopt, repeal, or modify any rule or custom as the Governor deems appropriate which pertains to the display of the state flag.

Ron DeSantis trivia: If Ron DeSantis is elected president, he'll add several questions to history trivia

An example of this occurred on June 12, when Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida from sunrise to sunset on Monday, June 12, 2023, in honor of Pulse Remembrance Day. On June 12, 2016, a shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando resulted in the death of 49 people.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida's state flag history includes addition of red diagonal bars