Flag of Detroit, Michigan
Encyclopedia
The flag
of the city of Detroit, Michigan
, was designed in 1907 by David E. Heineman and was officially adopted as the city's flag in 1948.
emblazoned on quartered background, with each section representing a country that once controlled the city. The lower hoist
(left) quarter represents France
, which founded the fort and settlement in 1701; it has five gold fleurs-de-lis
on a white field. The upper fly
(right) quarter represents Britain
, which controlled the fort from 1760 to 1796. It has three gold lion
s on a red field. The lower fly has 13 red and white stripes and the upper hoist has 13 white stars on a blue field, representing the original thirteen colonies
of the United States.
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 city of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, was designed in 1907 by David E. Heineman and was officially adopted as the city's flag in 1948.
Design
The flag has the city sealSeal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
emblazoned on quartered background, with each section representing a country that once controlled the city. The lower hoist
Flag terminology
Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
(left) quarter represents France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which founded the fort and settlement in 1701; it has five gold fleurs-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
on a white field. The upper fly
Flag terminology
Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
(right) quarter represents Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
, which controlled the fort from 1760 to 1796. It has three gold lion
Lion (heraldry)
The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
s on a red field. The lower fly has 13 red and white stripes and the upper hoist has 13 white stars on a blue field, representing the original thirteen colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
of the United States.
Symbolism
The two Latin mottos read Speramus Meliora and Resurget Cineribus, meaning "We hope for better things" and "It will rise from the ashes," which was written by Gabriel Richard after the fire of 1805. The seal is a representation of the Detroit fire which occurred on June 11, 1805. The fire caused the entire city to burn with only one building saved from the flames. The figure on the left weeps over the destruction while the figure on the right gestures to the new city that will rise in in its place.History
In the original design of the flag, the seal was oval. In the early 1970s, the flag was redesigned and the seal was changed to a circle. In approximately 2000, the seal was again changed to reduce the number of colors.Source
- Information from:Forgotten Detroit by Paul Vachon, 2009
- My State and Its Story by Ferris E. Lewis, 16th Edition, 1972