The flag of the state of Delaware consists of a buff-colored diamond on a field of colonial blue, with the coat of arms of the state of Delaware inside the diamond. Below the diamond, the date December 7, 1787, declares the day on which Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. The colors of the flag reflect the colors of the uniform of General George Washington.
The coat of arms in the center of the flag was adopted on January 17, 1777. It depicts a shield of horizontal green, blue and white stripes. On the stripes is a sheaf of wheat, an ear of corn, and an ox standing on grass, all representing Delaware's agriculture. Above the shield is a sailing ship. Supporting the shield are a farmer on the left and a soldier on the right. The state motto, below the shield, reads "Liberty and Independence". These symbols are also included on the seal of Delaware.
The current flag was adopted on July 24, 1913. During the American Civil War, regiments from Delaware flew a flag which was similar to the state coat of arms on a field of blue.
In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. NAVA members chose the Delaware flag as the 20th worst flag in the running, choosing it to be 52nd of the 72.
Proposals for a New Flag of Delaware
Shown below are various designs that have been proposed for a new flag of Delaware.
DE Flag Proposal "lyly"
DE Flag Proposal "FlagFreak"
DE Flag Proposal "djinn327"
DE Flag Proposal "FederalRepublic"
DE Flag Proposal "FederalRepublic 1 - Edited by Marmocet"
DE Flag Proposal "LeonardoP"
DE Flag Proposal "The Professor"
DE Flag Proposal "Lord Grattan"
DE Flag Proposal "Tibbetts"
DE Flag Proposal "Tibbetts 2"
DE Flag Proposal "Jack Expo 1"
DE Flag Proposal "Jack Expo 2"
DE Flag Proposal "Jack Expo 3"
DE Flag Proposal "Glen"
DE Flag Proposal "Smertios"
DE Flag Proposal "Son of Sibir"
DE Flag Proposal "VoronX 1"
DE Flag Proposal "VoronX 2"
DE Flag Proposal "Graphicology"
DE Flag Proposal "Usacelt"
DE Flag Proposal by Kermitdefrog
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 1 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 17 AuG 2014
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 2 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 18 AuG 2014
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 3 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 22 SEP 2014 at 0651hrs cst
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 4 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 22 SEP 2014 at 0618hrs cst
Delaware State Flag proposal No. 5 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 22 SEP 2014 at 0618hrs cst
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 6 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 22 SEP 2014 at 0619hrs cst
DE Flag Proposal "BigRed618"
Delaware flag proposal 1 by Hans. Dec 2013. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 2 by Hans. Oct 2014. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 3 by Hans. Nov 2015. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 4 by Hans. Nov 2015. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 5 by Hans. Nov 2015. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 6 by Hans. Nov 2015. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 7 by Hans. Nov 2015. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 8 by Hans. Nov 2015. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 9 by Hans. Oct 2016. (details)
Delaware flag proposal 10 by Hans. Oct 2016. (details)
Delaware State Flag Symplistic Proposal. The shield in the middle is the shield of liberty, and the plant symbolizes agriculture. The parallelogram is a crop plot. By Ed Mitchell. 2013.
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 7 Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 9 JUN 2015 at 1934 HRS CST note: Canton Ship Image Design credit to Michael Rudolf.
Delaware flag proposal by Arminius13
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 7b Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 10 JUN 2015 at 1319 HRS CST. note: whit areas in fly are not part of flag design.
Delaware State Flag Proposal No. 7c Designed By: Stephen Richard Barlow 10 JUN 2015 at 1519 HRS CST. note: white areas in fly of flag are not part of the flag design.
Delaware flag proposal by Achaley.
DE flag proposal "5thEye"
Delaware Flag Proposal by TheMaster001
Delaware Flag Proposal by TechMountenDew
The horizontal bars are taken from the State Seal, and buff diamond from the current flag. Delaware became the first State to ratify the US Constitution on December 7, 1787; references to this historic date are concealed in the proportions of the elements of this flag design: each bar has dimensions 87x17, for the year 1787, while the mid-points of each side of the diamond constructs a 12x7 rectangle, which references the date December 7. By Libervurto.
Delaware flag proposal by ColinHarkins.
Blue Hen State 1 by Newresnow
The Blue Hen State 2 by Newresnow
Symbolism
The Swedish flag
Proposed designs that feature or suggest the Swedish flag are commemorating New Sweden, a short-lived colony of Sweden that existed between 1638 and 1655. The colony's capital was in present-day Wilmington, Delaware, and settlements associated with it stretched along the Delaware River into parts of the modern states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The colony was short-lived, but the period of Swedish rule sets Delaware apart from other states and is still celebrated as part of the state's history and identity. The current flag of Wilmington is composed of the city seal on the Swedish flag. In 2013, the Swedish royal family visited Wilmington to commemorate the 375th anniversary of New Sweden's founding.