Flag of Connecticut
Encyclopedia
The flag
of the state of Connecticut consists of a white baroque
shield with three grapevines (each bearing three bunches of purple
grapes) on a field of azure blue
. The banner below the shield reads "Qui Transtulit Sustinet", ("He who transplanted still sustains"), the state's motto. The flag dimensions are 5.5 feet (1.7 m) in length and 4.33 feet (1.3 m) in width.
approved the flag in 1897 after it was introduced by Governor Owen Vincent Coffin
in 1895.
The design comes from the seal of Saybrook Colony
when it was established in 1639. That seal depicted 15 grapevines and a hand in the upper left corner with a scroll reading "Sustinet qui transtulit". When Connecticut Colony bought Saybrook in 1644, the seal transferred to Connecticut Colony. On October 25, 1711, the governor and legislature changed the seal. They reduced the number of grapevines from 15 to three, in order to represent the three oldest settlements (Windsor
, Wethersfield
, and Hartford
) (or possibly the three separate settlements, Connecticut Colony
, Saybrook Colony
, and New Haven Colony
, which had been absorbed into Connecticut by that time) and rearranged the wording and position of the motto.
In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association
surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. The survey found the Connecticut flag to be ranked in the bottom 25, ranked 50th out of the 72.
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
of the state of Connecticut consists of a white baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
shield with three grapevines (each bearing three bunches of purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
grapes) on a field of azure blue
Azure (color)
The color bleu de France is displayed at right.Bleu de France is a color that has been associated in heraldry with the Kings of France since the 12th century.-Brandeis blue:...
. The banner below the shield reads "Qui Transtulit Sustinet", ("He who transplanted still sustains"), the state's motto. The flag dimensions are 5.5 feet (1.7 m) in length and 4.33 feet (1.3 m) in width.
History
The Connecticut General AssemblyConnecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
approved the flag in 1897 after it was introduced by Governor Owen Vincent Coffin
Owen Vincent Coffin
Owen Vincent Coffin was an American politician and the 56th Governor of Connecticut from 1894 to 1897.- Early life :...
in 1895.
The design comes from the seal of Saybrook Colony
Saybrook Colony
The Saybrook Colony was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of Massachusetts. The former was designated Governor by the original settlers which included Colonel...
when it was established in 1639. That seal depicted 15 grapevines and a hand in the upper left corner with a scroll reading "Sustinet qui transtulit". When Connecticut Colony bought Saybrook in 1644, the seal transferred to Connecticut Colony. On October 25, 1711, the governor and legislature changed the seal. They reduced the number of grapevines from 15 to three, in order to represent the three oldest settlements (Windsor
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
, Wethersfield
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...
, and Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
) (or possibly the three separate settlements, Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
, Saybrook Colony
Saybrook Colony
The Saybrook Colony was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of Massachusetts. The former was designated Governor by the original settlers which included Colonel...
, and New Haven Colony
New Haven Colony
The New Haven Colony was an English colonial venture in present-day Connecticut in North America from 1637 to 1662.- Quinnipiac Colony :A Puritan minister named John Davenport led his flock from exile in the Netherlands back to England and finally to America in the spring of 1637...
, which had been absorbed into Connecticut by that time) and rearranged the wording and position of the motto.
In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association
North American Vexillological Association
The North American Vexillological Association is a membership organization devoted to "vexillology as the scientific study of flags." Flag researchers, designers, collectors, activists, merchants, and other enthusiasts from the United States and Canada meet annually at NAVA meetings in order to...
surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. The survey found the Connecticut flag to be ranked in the bottom 25, ranked 50th out of the 72.
Flying the flag at half mast
The flag is traditionally at half mast when the American flag is flown at half mast, which may be ordered by the President or by the Governor. According to 2007-R-0624, only the governor of Connecticut may decide to fly the state flag at half mast, though the right is a power of office and not a law. Typically this is done upon the death of a Connecticut resident in the armed forces, but has been done in the past for the funerals of past state governors, state representatives, or for an event considered tragic for the state.See also
- State of Connecticut
- Symbols of the state of Connecticut
- Great Seal of the State of Connecticut
- Coat of Arms of ConnecticutCoat of Arms of ConnecticutThe Coat of Arms of Connecticut is an official emblem of the State, alongside the Seal and State Flag. The General Assembly of Connecticut adopted a design for the official Arms of the State On March 24, 1931 , which it ordered to be drawn and filed with the Secretary of the State.-Description:The...
- Symbols of the state of Connecticut