Monday, May 23, 2016

Massachusetts Flag History

By Ann Kent


One of the original 13 colonies and one of the six New England states, Massachusetts (officially called a commonwealth) is known for being the landing place of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. English explorer and colonist John Smith named the state for the Massachuset tribe.

Massachusetts Flag is identical on both sides and depicts the blue and gold Commonwealth of Massachusetts coat of arms set against a field of white. History, though, finds that the state flag used to have two different sides, with one side bearing a coat of arms and the other depicting a green pine tree, which was a symbol of the importance of wood to the settlers of Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Flag was adopted for the first time in 1915, when the commonwealth coat of arms was on one side and blue shield bearing a pine tree, on the other. The currentMassachusetts Flag was adopted in the year 1971.

The flag's coat of arms has a color scheme of blue, gold and white, and includes the image of a gold-colored Native American within a shield colored blue. The different elements of the coat of arms on the State flag of Massachusetts each has a meaning that represents the state. The blue shield symbolizes the Blue Hills of two towns in the state, Canton, and Milton. The Native American carries a large bow held with his right hand and an arrow in his left; the arrow as its tip is pointed down to signify that he comes in peace.

The state flag of Massachusetts has a solid white field with the Massachusetts coat of arms in the center. The coat of arms features an Algonquin man armed with a bow with an arrow pointed towards the ground. The man reflects the history of the native people of Massachusetts, and the arrow is pointed towards the ground as a symbol of peace.

The tip of the arrow facing downward is a perfect representation of peace and harmony. The radiant white star projects the state of Massachusetts as a part of the 13 original state of the US. The arm with the sword effectively portrays the first half of the state motto. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Massachusetts Flag for the future.




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