 | |
| Use | Civil and state flag   |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 125:177 |
| Adopted | May 2, 1927 |
| Design | An eight gold stars, in the shape of "the big dipper" on a dark blue field. The North Star is larger than the other 7. |
| Designed by | Benny Benson |
The state flag of Alaska displays eight gold stars, forming the Big Dipper and Polaris, on a dark blue field. The Big Dipper is an asterism in the constellation Ursa Major, which symbolizes a bear, indigenous to Alaska. As depicted on the flag, its stars can be used as a guide by the novice to locate Polaris and determine true north.
The design was created by Benny Benson of Seward and selected from among roughly 700 entries in a 1927 contest. In 2001, a survey conducted by the North American Vexillological Association placed Alaska's flag fifth best in design quality out of the 72 Canadian provincial, U.S. state, and U.S. territory flags ranked. It finished behind the flags of New Mexico, Texas, Quebec, and Maryland respectively.[1]
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Transcription
The first flags in what is now the American state of Alaska were those of the European colonial empires of the Spanish and Russians that explored, settled, and traded there. Spain sent several expeditions to what is now Alaska in the late 1700s in order to assert its claim on the Pacific Northwest. In 1789, a Spanish settlement and fort were built at Nootka Sound. Russian colonization led to the formation of Russian America. The flag of the Russian Empire and that of the Russian American Company flew on Russian ships and at Russian settlements and trading posts in what is now Alaska during that time. In 1867, the United States purchased the land from Russia and the American Territory of Alaska was organized in 1912. In 1959, Alaska was admitted as the 49th state. That same year, a 49th star was added to the national flag. Alaska’s state flag was first adopted in 1927 as the territorial flag. It was designed by Benny Benson, a 13 year old seventh grader from an orphanage in Seward, Alaska. Benson’s flag was chosen after a contest was held for Alaskan children in grades seven through twelve to create a flag for the territory. The flag was chosen out of over 700 submissions, many of which included the midnight sun, the northern lights, polar bears, or gold pans. The winning flag, which is the current state flag, consists of a dark blue field with eight gold stars in the shape of the “big dipper” constellation. The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, the state flower. The North Star, the Polaris, represents what would become the future state of Alaska, the northern most state in the Union. The constellation is associated with Ursa major or the Great Bear, symbolizing strength. If you enjoyed this video, be sure to hit the like button and subscribe to our channel for future videos. You can also like our Facebook page for updates there. You can check out another video on the state flag of Hawaii right here. Thanks for watching.
Design and origin
Thirty-two years before Alaska became a state, the Alaska Department of the American Legion sponsored a territorial contest for Alaskan children from seventh grade (age 12–13) to twelfth grade (age 17–18) to design a flag for the territory.[2] In 1927, the contest committee chose fourteen year-old orphan Benny Benson's design to represent the future flag of the Territory of Alaska. Benson, an Alaska Native, was a resident at the Jesse Lee Home for Children in Seward. Until that time, Alaskans had flown only the U.S. flag since the territory's purchase from Russia in 1867. Benson's design was chosen over roughly 700 other submissions from schoolchildren territory-wide. Most other entries featured variations on the territorial seal, the midnight sun, the northern lights, polar bears, and/or gold pans. To celebrate his achievement, Benson was awarded $1,000 and an engraved watch.
Benny looked to the sky for the symbols he included in his design. Choosing the familiar constellation he looked for every night before going to sleep at the orphanage, he submitted this description with it:
The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaskan flower. The North Star is for the future state of Alaska, the most northerly in the Union. The dipper is for the Great Bear—symbolizing strenth [sic].[4]
The official design of the flag is outlined in the Alaska Statutes by The Alaska State Legislature, which explains the flag's colors and symbolism, along with proper display, folding, presentation, and retirement of the flag.[5]
| Name | Color | RGB | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | G | B | 8-bit hex | ||
| Navy | 15 | 32 | 75 | #0F204B
| |
| Gold | 255 | 182 | 18 | #FFB612
| |
History
Russian-American Company Flag
Between 1799 and 1867 Alaska was governed by the Russian-American Company (RAC), a state-sponsored commercial company initially headquartered in Irkutsk, then St. Petersburg, Russia. The flag flown by the Company's ships and their shore establishments was Russia's commercial flag (civil ensign). On September 28 (October 10, new style) 1806, Aleksandr I, Emperor of Russia made a notation on the design submitted to him of a new flag for the Russian-American Company; "So be it", and added his cypher, thereby approving the first flag in Russia's history to be used by an Imperial chartered company. After Imperial confirmation, the ukase was heard in the Senate and on October 19, 1806, was sent for execution to the main office of the Russian-American Company (RAC), and also to the Admiralty and Commerce colleges.
The new Company flag design of 1806 placed the Imperial eagle in the upper left quarter of Russia's commercial flag. In order that the State symbol remain unobstructed and more visible the width of the white stripe was enlarged to cover roughly one half of the flag's width. The normal width proportions of Russia's commercial flag were equal thirds. The Imperial eagle carried a scroll which dipped into the blue stripe, also for more visibility, which read, in abbreviated form "Russian American Company's". The symbolism of the scroll beneath the Imperial eagle complements the official version of the Company's name "Under His Imperial Majesty's Protection Russian-American Company."[6]
The flag flew over Alaska until October 18, 1867, when all Russian and American Company holdings in Alaska were sold to the United States.
State flag
The Alaska Legislature adopted Benson's design as the official flag for the Territory of Alaska on May 2, 1927. The first flag made based on Benny's design was made of blue silk and appliquéd gold stars. It was retained as the state flag at statehood in 1959.
The flag's symbolism is described in the state song, "Alaska's Flag".
Historical flags
| Allegiance | Governing Body | Design(s) | Dates in Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claimed by Russian Empire | N/A |  |
July 15, 1741 – July 8, 1799 |
| Russian Empire | Russian-American Company | July 8, 1799 – October 10, 1806 | |
 |
October 10, 1806 – October 18, 1867 | ||
 |
June 11, 1858 – October 18, 1867 | ||
| United States of America | The Department of Alaska (United States Army, Navy or Treasury) |  |
October 18, 1867 – July 3, 1877 |
 |
July 4, 1877 – May 16, 1884 | ||
| District of Alaska | |
May 17, 1884 – July 3, 1890 | |
 |
July 4, 1890 – July 3, 1891 | ||
 |
July 4, 1891 – July 3, 1896 | ||
 |
July 4, 1896 – July 3, 1908 | ||
 |
July 4, 1908 – July 3, 1912 | ||
 |
July 4, 1912 – August 23, 1912 | ||
| Territory of Alaska | |
August 24, 1912 – July 9, 1927 | |
 |
July 9, 1927 – January 3, 1959 | ||
| State of Alaska | January 3, 1959 – present |
See also
References
- ^ Archive.org copy of now-offline NAVA survey results
- ^ "The Contest". netstate.com.
- ^ "The Kids' Gazette for Eight Stars of Gold - flag_gazette.pdf" (PDF). museums.alaska.gov. Alaska State Museum. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ "Benny Benson | UA Journey | UA Journey". alaska.edu.
- ^ Alaska Legislature. "Alaska Statutes 2021". akleg.gov. The Michie Company. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Бытъ По Сему – So be it: 200 years of the history and interpretation of "The flag granted by his Imperial Highness" The flag of the Russian-American Company. By John Middleton, September 2006. Fort Ross Conservancy web site
External links
- Catalog of the "Eight Stars" exhibit at the Alaska State Museum (PDF)
This page was last edited on 13 June 2024, at 16:29