History Of Delaware Flag

By Tom Sanders


Delaware's history is a long and proud one. Early explorations of our coastline were made by the Spaniards and Portuguese in the sixteenth century, by Henry Hudson in 1609 under the auspices of the Dutch, by Samuel Argall in 1610, by Cornelius May in 1613, and by Cornelius Hendricksen in 1614.

August 28, 1609-The Spanish and Portuguese are believed to have made explorations of the Delaware coastline in the early sixteenth century (as early as 1526!). However, Henry Hudson-an English navigator under the employ of the Dutch East India Trading Company is credited with the discovery of what would become known as the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay.

Adopted on July 24, 1913, the Delaware flag has a background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff color in which the coat of arms of the state of Delaware is placed. Below the diamond is the words "December 7, 1787," indicating the day on which Delaware was the first state to ratify the Federal Constitution.

This insignia bears the photos of a boat, corn, wheat and a bull. There is a trooper holding a rifle and a rancher holding a tool. Underneath it is a white strip, which peruses freedom and independence. Underneath it is the engraving December 7, 1787, the date when Delaware turned into the first state to confirm to the Constitution of US. The shades used on the banner must be precisely the ones said by the law.

As described by the original commission members who designed the flag, the tones of colonial blue and buff are representations of the ones present in General George Washington's uniform. On the shield of the Delaware Flag, the ship represents the state's rich commerce, the ox, corn, wheat and farmers represent farming and cattle ranching. The soldier on the Delaware Flag pays homage to the Revolutionary War Soldiers.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior Delaware flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Delaware flag for the future.




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