Ohio State Flag Facts For Kids: Description, Meaning, And More
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Three horizontal red and white stripes make up the flag of Ohio.
A blue triangular field featuring the apex in the heart of the middle red stripe and 17 white five-pointed stars arranged surrounding a red disc overlaid onto a white circular O may be found at the staff tip.
A flag is a stretch of fabric, bunting, or other comparable material bearing the symbol of a sovereign state, a community, an organization, an armed force, an institution, or even an individual.
A flag is typically oblong in shape and is affixed to staff and otherwise halyard by one side. Flags were initially employed primarily in wartime, and they have remained symbols of leadership to some extent, acting as identifiers of friend or foe and rallying points.
Ohio's own flag is known as the Ohio Burgee because of its swallow-tailed design.
The form of the Ohio state flag is one of its distinctive characteristics. The Ohio state flag requires a particular folding process due to its triangular form.
It cannot be folded in the manner of other state flags or the US flag. The state's name is suggested by a conspicuous disc in the triangular canton of the flag. The Ohio Revised Code specifies the design of the Ohio state flag.
John Eisenmann was a flag vendor who designed the Ohio State Flag for the Pan-American Exposition in 1901, and it was accepted in 1902. Prior to then, Ohio lacked a legally recognized state flag for nearly a century after statehood. Ohio's state flag is the only state flag in the United States that is non-rectangular.
The proportional measurements of the flag and its various sections must be in compliance with a design approved by the adjutant general and the governor's flag, which has been used by the adjutant general's office for more than thirty years. It is one such flag, unlike the Arsenal flag which is non-rectangular.
Did you know that the O in the flag relates to the state's nickname, the Buckeye state!
So let’s find out more facts about the Ohio's state flag, shall we? Afterward, also check China flag facts and Spain flag facts.
What is unique about Ohio's flag?
Ohio's flag is one of a kind. Whilst numerous different state flag is a regular rectangle, Ohio is the unique one with a distinct form called a swallow-tailed burgee. Eisenmann created the Ohio state flag's design to symbolize all of Ohio's facets. The blue triangles in Ohio's state flag points represent the state's mountains and valleys.
The state flag of Ohio is the only flag in the union that has a non-rectangular flag. The swallow-tailed form of a guidon held by the US cavalry might well have influenced its creator, John Eisenmann. The flag was intended to be flown from the Ohio building at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, which may have influenced the distinctive fag.
In 1901, Eisenmann patented his design for the distinctive flag, which became official on May 9, 1902. By definition, a burgee is a pennant-shaped flag that was originally intended to differentiate flags of sailing, yacht, clubs, or commerce ship ownership.
The majority of burgees were made in the structure of a pennant, with an indentation on the tail end of the flag forming two tails. The state of Ohio has approved an official flag salute and then a 17-step flag folding protocol.
The Ohio flag has impacted a variety of state logos including municipal flags. The state seal is used to create a scarlet-colored gubernatorial banner.
What does the Ohio state flag stand for?
Ohio has no officially recognized state flag for over a century after its founding. The state militia used regimental colors modeled on the Stars and Stripes, with 'a large eagle, with the number of the regiment and the prescribed number of stars above'.
The Ohio flag, which is unusual in shape yet simple in design, is rich in symbolism. The flag's union is a huge blue triangle featuring seventeen white stars.
The thirteen initial colonies are represented by those who are arranged all around the white circle. The four stars just at the triangle's tip are added to the stars of the thirteen founding colonies to make seventeen.
The seventeenth state to join the union was Ohio. The state's natural attributes and sequence of admittance into the Union are symbolized by the red, white, and blue components.
The state's name is represented by a conspicuous disc in the flag's triangle canton.
The state's natural attributes and sequence of admittance into the Union are symbolized by the red, white, and blue components. The buckeye, the official state tree, is represented by the red disc at the hoist tip.
The white O surrounding it represents the first letter of the state's name as well as is symbolic of Ohio's status as the Buckeye State, whereas the stars and stripes, as well as the colors red, white, and blue, pay homage to the American flag.
The triangles of Eisenmann's design represent Ohio's hills and valleys, while the stripes represent the state's rivers and roadways. The flag's 17 stars commemorate Ohio's status as the 17th state to enter the Union in 1803. The proportionate measurements of the flag and its constituent elements must follow the official design on file with the secretary of state's department.
Why is the Ohio flag not a rectangle?
Ohio was a growing state in 1901, with flourishing cities and a lucrative agricultural business. Thus when then-governor George Nash learned about the Pan-American Exposition, a massive international fair taking place in neighboring Buffalo, NY, he sensed a chance for Ohio to take center stage.
He called up a commission to construct a huge, beautiful structure in Ohio's honor – then displayed Ohio's freshly designed flag in front of it.
The flag was intended to be flown in from the Ohio building at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, which might have resulted in its distinctive design. The form of the Ohio state flag is one of its distinctive characteristics.
Every other official state flag is rectangular in form. The Ohio flag is unique in that it is the only official state flag in the world that is triangular in shape which is why it is called the Ohio Burgee.
A burgee is a triangular flag used aboard ships. The triangular design of the Ohio flag inspired the moniker 'Ohio Burgee.'
The Ohio flag requires a particular folding process due to its triangular form. It cannot be folded in the manner of other state flags or the US flag. Because all other flags remain rectangular in form, they are folded in the same way. The triangular form of the Ohio flag necessitates a different folding technique.
When was the Ohio flag adopted?
The flag was intended to be displayed from the Ohio building only at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, which may have given towards its distinctive design. In 1901, Eisenmann patented his design, which went official as a result of a law passed by the Ohio legislature on May 9, 1902.
Ohio, like numerous other states, indicated a desire in having a state flag by the early 1850s. In late 1860, Qtr.
Mr. Gen. David L. Wood with Adj. Gen. Henry B. Carrington designed a flag that included the state seal on a white background. They flew it just above Ohio State Arsenal there in Columbus in the expectation that it could perhaps become the state flag eventually.
On January 17, 1861, at a dinner hosted by the Columbus Typographical Union Local no. 5, eventual U.S. President James A. Garfield delivered a speech in which he defended the national flag as the sole banner under which Ohio's men would march to combat.
The generals present were inclined to abandon their idea in favor of hoisting the Stars and Stripes.
Ultimately that same year, Wood and Carrington fought with other Ohioans under the 34-star Union flag, which would subsequently inspire a state flag. The Stars and Stripes had a stronghold on patriotic gestures; therefore Ohio's flag was rarely used at first.
Similar sentiments hampered the approval of municipal flags in Cleveland as well as Cincinnati, with both being dismissed as 'banners' for commercial reasons.
Only Governor Nash, according to reports from 1903, wore the guidon amongst state leaders. The guidon achieved tremendous prominence in the century after its introduction, being flown not just by the state, but also by its inhabitants and businesses on a regular basis.
The state flag will be in the shape of a burgee. It will contain three red and two white horizontal stripes, which will represent the state's roads and waterways.
The union of the flag shall be seventeen five-pointed stars, white on a blue triangular field representing the state's hills and valleys, with the base of the flag's staff end or vertical edge and the apex of the flag's red center.
The stars will be arranged around a red disc with a white circle 'O' placed on it.
The thirteen stars gathered around the 'O' represent the thirteen founding states of the United States, and the four stars added to the triangle's peak reflect Ohio's admission to the union as the seventeenth state. The 'O' depicts the letter 'O' in 'Ohio' and proposes the moniker 'buckeye state' for the state.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Ohio state flag facts then why not take a look at Peru flag facts, or Columbia flag facts?
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Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".
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