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The flag of the state of Illinois consists of the seal of Illinois on a white background, with the word "Illinois" underneath the seal. The Great Seal of the State of Illinois is the official emblem of the state, and signifies the official nature of a document produced by the state of Illinois.
The current flag depicts the Great Seal of Illinois, which was originally designed in 1819 and emulated the Great Seal of the United States. In the eagle's beak there is a banner with the state motto, "State Sovereignty, National Union." The dates on the seal, 1818 and 1868, represent the year Illinois became a state and the year in which the Great Seal was redesigned by Sharon Tyndale. Although "State Sovereignty" comes first in the motto, Illinois was victorious in the American Civil War on the Union side, fighting against state sovereignty, so Tyndale placed "State" at the bottom and "Sovereignty" upside-down.
Historical flags
In 1918, Wallace Rice submitted a flag for Illinois's centennial celebration. Rice is best known for designing the iconic flag of Chicago. His centennial flag has 21 stars, representing Illinois's entry to the Union as the 21st state, on a white and blue triband.
Proposals for a new Flag of Illinois
.png "US-IL flag proposal BigRed618 (modified).png (5 KB)")
.png "US-IL flag proposal Hans 1 (modified).png (4 KB)")
