Flag of Texas

The flag of Texas is defined by law as follows:

The Texas flag is known as the "Lone Star Flag" (giving Texas its nickname of the "Lone Star State"). This flag was introduced to the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 28, 1838, by Senator William H. Wharton. It was adopted on January 24, 1839 as the final national flag of the Republic of Texas.

When Texas became the 28th state of the Union on December 29, 1845, its national flag became the state flag. Texas law assigns the following symbolism to the colors of the Texas flag: blue stands for loyalty, white for purity, and red for bravery. cite web|url=http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/GV/content/htm/gv.011.00.003100.00.htm |title=GOVERNMENT CODE: CHAPTER 3100. STATE FLAG |accessdate=2007-10-21 |date=2001-09-01 |publisher=State of Texas ] The official Pantone shades for the Texas flag are 193 (red) and 281 (dark blue).

The Burnet Flag

The Lone Star Flag replaced the previous national flag (known as the Burnet Flag), which had been adopted on December 10, 1836. It consisted of an azure background with a large golden star, inspired by the 1810 "Bonnie Blue Flag" of the Republic of West Florida. Variants of the Burnet Flag with a white star, virtually identical to the Bonnie Blue Flag, were also common.

Pledge of allegiance

The pledge of allegiance to the state flag is as follows:The pledge was instituted by the Texas Legislature in 1933, and originally referred to the "Texas flag of 1836" (which was the Burnet Flag, and not the Lone Star Flag then in use). In 1965, the error was corrected by deleting the words "of 1836". In 2007, the phrase "one state under God" was added. The addition of "under God" has been challenged in court, though an injunction was denied. [David Wallace Croft, "State Pledge" http://www.croftpress.com/david/politics/pledge/]

Urban legend

It is a common urban legend that the Texas flag is the only state flag that is allowed to fly at the same height as the U.S. flag. Allegedly, Texas has this right inherently (as a former independent nation) or because it negotiated special provisions when it joined the Union (this version has been stated as fact on a PBS website [ [http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/texan/ "Texas English"] , from the "Do You Speak American?" series. Article by Jan Tillery and Guy Bailey of the University of Texas at San Antonio. ] ). However, the legend is false. Neither the Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States nor the Ordinance of Annexation [http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/annexation/4july1845.html] contain any provisions regarding flags. According to the United States Flag Code, any state flag can be flown at the same height as the U.S. flag; the U.S. flag should be on its right (the viewer's left), however. Consistent with the U.S. Flag Code, the Texas Flag Code specifies that the state flag should either be flown below the U.S. flag if on the same pole or at the same height as the U.S. flag if on separate poles.

Similar flags

*Texas's flag is also similar to the flag of Chile, first used in 1817. However, the Chilean flag has a blue canton with a white star rather than the entire left side being blue. The red bottom stripe begins below the canton.

*The flag of North Carolina is similar to the flag of Texas; North Carolina's flag has the same basic pattern as Texas's; however, the colors of the fly are reversed. In addition, the star in the hoist is smaller and is surrounded by scrolls and lettering. The Lone Star Flag predates North Carolina's current flag by 47 years.

* The flag of Guinea-Bissau is also similar, but has different colors, different dimensions and proportions of the sections, and a differently designed star.

ee also

*Six flags over Texas
*Texaphyrin
*World's Largest Texas Flag

Notes

External links

* [http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/flagcode.html Texas Flag Code]
* [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/FF/msf1.html "The Handbook of Texas Online:" Flags of Texas]
* [http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/indepenflgs.htm Flags of Texas Independence Movements 1835-1836]
* [http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-txhs.html#redstar Historical Texas Flags]