The flag of the U.S. state of Michigan is a coat of arms set on a dark blue field, as set forth by Michigan state law. Michigan has had three state flags, and the current flag was adopted on August 1, 1911. The governor has a variant of the flag with a white field instead of blue one.

Design of the coat of arms

Michigan Compiled Laws § 2.22 (2024) defines the blazon of the state coat of arms as follows:

An elk and a moose are defined as supporters, positioned on the right (dexter) and left (sinister) of the shield. Two scrolls display the state mottoes: the upper narrow scroll reads "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam" and the lower broad scroll reads "Circumspice." The shield rests on gold-colored scroll supports and a leaf design, which also supports the upper scroll.

The flag was used in 1861 by Company A of the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. In 1877, the Michigan adjutant general John Robinson mentioned in his book The Flags of Michigan that the flag was in the state's possession. It was found in a general's office wrapped in a dusty package in the back of a filing cabinet. The flag was discovered by Caroline Campbell, the wife of a Michigan state senator. She was a known historian of the Civil War and of early Michigan history. The flag upon discovery was in very poor condition. The flag was made of fine silk, and due to being tightly rolled and bound in a package for years, the folds in the fabric had hardened, which would have severely torn the flag if unfurled. The flag was sent to the Kent Scientific Museum in Grand Rapids with special permission to restore the flag. Due to textile conservation being in its infancy during this time, the flag had received several tears. The oil treatment used to clean the flag was more successful, and restored its original colors. Later in 1912, the flag was put on permanent display in the ground floor rotunda of the state capitol. It was pressed between two pieces of glass and placed upright so that both sides could be viewed. Its design consisted of Michigan's coat of arms on a blue background on its front side, while the reverse showed the United States coat of arms. From the 1880s to 1910s the state flag was flown at every governor's inauguration; it was . In 1909 the USS Michigan was given a state flag by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Current flag

thumb|left|200px|The Michigan flag flying below the U.S. flag

thumb|200px|The Michigan state flag as depicted in the [[Bicentennial Series|1976 bicentennial postage stamp series]]

thumb|200px|Depiction of the state flag from National Geographic, 1917

In 1911, as Michigan approached the 75th anniversary of its statehood, the state legislature chose to commemorate the occasion by adopting its first official state flag. The flag was adopted on August 1, 1911. The movement to adopt the flag was begun by Caroline Campbell, the same person who rediscovered the Brady Flag.

Attempts to change the flag

In November 2016, a bill was introduced in the Michigan state legislature by Senator Steven Bieda that would have provided for a flag commission to head up a public design contest to change the current state flag, Establishing a flag commission was proposed again in 2021, by Representative Andrea Schroeder. The measure was referred to committee, where no action was taken on it.

In 2023, Representative Phil Skaggs proposed a bill to redesign the state flag. It was introduced as House Bill 6190, on November 26, 2024, read a first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations. The bill would have formed a commission of 6 local university artists, 3 professional artists or state historians selected by the Michigan Historical Commission and 8 political appointees to establish a contest to receive public design submissions between January 26, 2025 and July 26, 2025. The flag commission would have selected a winner by September 26, 2025, and the winning submission would have replaced the current state flag on January 1, 2026. As no action was taken on the bill before the end of the legislative session, it was also unsuccessful.

Pledge

Michigan's pledge of allegiance to the state flag was written by Harold G. Coburn and was officially adopted in 1972:

See also

  • List of Michigan state symbols
  • Flags of governors of the U.S. states

References

  • State of Michigan
  • "Michigan state flag details and how to buy a flag"