Flag of Tennessee
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The flag of Tennessee is the official flag of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The flag displays an emblem on a field of red, with a strip of blue bordered by white on the fly. The emblem in the middle consists of three white stars on a blue circle also with a white border. The central emblem portion of the flag has been adopted as the state's unofficial logo, and appears in the logos of some Tennessee-based companies and sports teams. Examples include the First Horizon Bank and the Tennessee Titans.
History
Prior to the adoption of any state flag, there was a proposed Civil War era flag in 1861 for when Tennessee seceded and joined the Confederacy. Though unadopted, this flag did see some limited use.
In 1897, Tennessee adopted a red, white, and blue tricolor.<ref name="Huff">Template:Cite web</ref> The three bars were deliberately slanted in an effort to represent the geographically distinct regions of Tennessee. The flag included the number 16 to represent Tennessee as the 16th state in the Union, and the inscription "The Volunteer State", the state's official nickname.
The current flag was designed by Colonel Le Roy Reeves,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> a Johnson City attorney who was then serving in the Tennessee National Guard.<ref name="ReevesPapers">Template:Cite archive (Accessed November 10, 2021.)</ref> The Tennessee General Assembly officially adopted the flag on April 17, 1905.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, territorial, and Canadian provincial flags and ranked the Tennessee flag 14th.<ref>Template:Cite newsletter</ref> Template:Gallery
Description
Symbolism
The stars represent the three geographically and legally distinct Grand Divisions of Tennessee (i.e. East, Middle, and West Tennessee). The blue circle around the stars represents the unity of those grand divisions. The blue bar at the edge of the flag was just a design consideration. When asked about the blue bar, Reeves stated "The final blue bar relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when hanging limp." In October 1917, National Geographic erroneously reported the stars represented the state as the third to enter the Union after the original thirteen.<ref name="tndom">Template:Cite web</ref>
Star arrangement
State law dictates exactly how the central emblem is to be displayed on the flag.
In 1976, the U.S. Postal Service issued a sheet of 13 cent stamps illustrating U.S. state flags. Tennessee's was illustrated upside down.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Government flags
Template:See also Alongside the state flag, there are other flags used by the government of Tennessee. The flag for the governor of Tennessee has been in use since 1939. It is a scarlet flag, with four stars, one in each corner, and the state military crest, a tree with three white stars, in the center. The Tennessee General Assembly has its own flag as well that was adopted in 1978.
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Gallery
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Tennessee centennial flag (1896)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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The flag of Tennessee as depicted in the 1976 bicentennial postage stamp series.
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A state flag themed hot air balloon at Jubilee Festival, Decatur, Alabama, May 2010.
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The Tennessee state flag which flew over the Capitol during the Tornado outbreak of April 15–16, 1998. The middle emblem was ripped out during the storm. This flag is on display at the Tennessee State Capitol.
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A sample Tennessee vehicle plates incorporating the flag's emblem as a logo.
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