Wisconsin (U.S.)

Last modified: 2023-12-23 by rick wyatt
Keywords: wisconsin | united states |
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image by Clay Moss, 28 February 2009

• Description of the Flag
• Legal Description
• State Military Crest

See also:

• County and Municipal Flags of Wisconsin (index)
• Wisconsin Government and Department seals
• Wisconsin Veteran Volunteers
• Wisconsin State Patrol
• Wisconsin National Guard
• Wisconsin Clean Marina Flag
• Variations on the Wisconsin flag
• United States of America
• States of the United States
  

In 1848, a star was added, representing Wisconsin, bringing the total number of stars on the U.S. flag to 30. There were thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.

Description of the Flag

Starting at the top of a shield on a dark blue field is the state motto "Forward". Below it is a badger the state animal. A sailor and miner show that the people work on water and land. The shield in the center shows Wisconsin's support for the United States. In four sections surrounding the shield are representations of the states main industries: Agriculture, mining, manufacturing and navigation. The cornucopia and pile of lead represent farm products and minerals. The flag was adopted in 1913. The flag law was amended in 1979 to include the name of the state and the date of statehood.
Dov Gutterman, 13 October 1998

Legal Description

WISCONSIN STATUTES
1.07 State coat of arms. The coat of arms of the state of Wisconsin is declared to be as follows:

Arms.-Or, quartered, the quarters bearing respectively a plow, a crossed shovel and pick, an arm and held hammer, and an anchor, all proper; the base of shield resting upon a horn of plenty and pyramid of pig lead, all proper; over all, on fesse point, the arms and motto of the United States, namely: Arms, palewise of 13 pieces argent and gules; a chief azure; motto (on garter surrounding inescutcheon), "E pluribus unum".

Crest.-A badger, passant, proper.

Supporters.-Dexter, a sailor holding a coil of rope, proper; sinister, a yeoman resting on a pick, proper.

Motto.-Over crest, "Forward".

(a) Relative dimensions of 2 to 3, hoist to fly.

(b) A background of royal blue cloth.

(c) The state coat of arms, as described under s. 1.07, in material of appropriate colors, applied on each side in the center of the field, of such size that, if placed in a circle whose diameter is equal to 50% of the hoist, those portions farthest from the center of the field would meet, but not cross, the boundary of the circle.

(d) The word "WISCONSIN" in white, capital, condensed Gothic letters, one-eighth of the hoist in height, centered above the coat of arms, midway between the uppermost part of the coat of arms and the top edge of the flag.

(e) The year "1848" in white, condensed Gothic numbers, one-eighth of the hoist in height, centered below the coat of arms, midway between the lowermost part of the coat of arms and the bottom edge of the flag.

(f) Optional trim on the edges consisting of yellow knotted fringe.

State Military Crest

image by Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000

The state military crest, which is the crest used in the coats of arms of units of the National Guard, as granted by the precursor organizations of what is now the Army Institute of Heraldry. The official Institute of Heraldry blazon is "A badger couchant proper. [Wisconsin is known as the Badger State.]"
Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000