The History and Meaning of Michigan's State Flag

Did you know that the current Michigan state flag wasn't the first? The original depicted Stevens Thomson Mason - the first elected governor of Michigan on one side and the Michigan coat of arms on the other.

Just after the American Civil War, this was changed by removing the governor's image and replacing it with the United States coat of arms. In fact, the flag was first unfurled on July 4,1865, at Gettysburg National Cemetery (originally called the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg).

The current flag was adopted by Public Act 209 in 1911. It now depicts only the Michigan coat of arms on a blue background.

Michigan's Great Seal is presented on the flag and contains three mottos in Latin which mean the following:

• E Pluribus Unum: "From many, one."
• Tuebor: "I will defend."
  
• Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice: "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you."

It was Lewis Cass, the second territorial governor of Michigan, who in 1835 presented the Great Seal for acceptance to the Constitutional Convention. The design was apparently inspired by a seal used by the Hudson Bay Fur Company.

The mottos above can actually be seen through the pictures of Michigan's seal. The pleasant peninsula is quite obviously shown by the grassy knoll surrounded by a lake.

"I will defend" is depicted by the friendly man waving a welcome with one hand but holding a gun in the other. He's not attacking, but he's standing his ground. It's important to keep in mind that Michigan wasn't on the best of terms with Canada, Britain and other American territories not long before the seal was designed. In fact, the War of 1812 was still a fresh memory.

But what of "From many, one?" The Latin phrase E Pluribus Unum is alternatively translated as "Out of many, one." This is one of the original mottos of the United States and is believed to refer to the many states that make up one nation.

The elk and moose were prevalent at the time. The fur trade dominated the Great Lakes region until lumber and mining took over. Hunting was how people ate and still is a large part of Michigan heritage.

The Michigan flag also contains parts of the Great Seal of the United States. This includes an American eagle with an olive branch in the right talon and 13 arrows in the left. The olive branch denotes peace and the arrows mean war. The original explanation for this was that these symbols denote the "power of peace and war which is exclusively vested in Congress." The eagle is looking in the direction of the olive branch which signals the greater power of peace.

As you can see, the design for Michigan's flag was greatly inspired not only by the struggles of the state but also the struggles of the country. Even more of an inspiration was the hope for peace while maintaining the ability to stand strong in the face of foes.

References:

• Coat of Arms.  Michigan Department of State.  Accessed 2010.
• The Michigan State Flag. Netstate. Accessed January 2010.
• The Great Seal of Michigan. Netstate. Accessed January 2010.
• MacArthur, John D. The Bald Eagle on America's Great Seal. GreatSeal.com. Accessed January 2010.