What does the Delaware flag symbolize?

The coat of arms shows the state's farming, its people and its trade. The date December 7, 1787 marks the day Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution.

Why is December 7, 1787 on the Delaware flag?

That is the day Delaware ratified the U.S. Constitution, becoming the first state of the Union.

What are the colors of the Delaware flag?

The flag uses colonial blue for the field and buff for the diamond, along with white lettering and the colors of the coat of arms.

When was the Delaware flag adopted?

The legislature adopted the flag on July 24, 1913. The coat of arms on it dates to 1777.

Does Delaware have another state flag?

No. Delaware has only one official state flag, the colonial blue flag with the buff diamond.

Delaware Flag: Meaning, Colors & History of the State Flag

The Delaware flag is colonial blue with a buff-colored diamond that holds the state coat of arms. Beneath the diamond is the date December 7, 1787, the day Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

What the Delaware state flag looks like

The state flag of Delaware has a field of colonial blue and a large buff-colored diamond in the center. Inside the diamond is the Delaware coat of arms, which shows:

a shield with a sheaf of wheat, an ear of corn and an ox standing on grass;
a farmer with a hoe on one side of the shield and a soldier with a musket on the other;
a sailing ship above the shield;
a ribbon beneath, reading "Liberty and Independence."

Under the diamond, in white letters, is the date "December 7, 1787." The flag is 2:3 in proportion. The blue and buff colors are the main colors of the design, with some green in the grass and the details of the arms.

Delaware flag meaning and symbolism

The elements of the Delaware flag all come from the state coat of arms and its history:

Wheat and corn represent the state's farming, which was the main part of the economy in the 18th century.
The ox stands for the livestock raised in the state.
The farmer and the soldier are the two supporters of the shield. They are usually taken to represent the citizens of the state, both the people who work the land and the militia who defended it.
The ship recalls Delaware's trade and its place on the Atlantic coast and the Delaware River.
The date marks the day in 1787 when Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution, which is why Delaware is nicknamed the First State.

The colors, blue and buff, are commonly linked to the uniforms of Delaware's troops in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

History of the Delaware flag

The coat of arms on the flag dates to 1777, when Delaware adopted its first state seal during the Revolutionary War. For well over a century the state used the arms but had no official flag of its own.

The state legislature approved the current flag on July 24, 1913. The design placed the coat of arms on a buff diamond over a blue field, with the ratification date beneath it as a reminder of the state's early role in the founding of the country. The flag has not been redesigned since then, and Delaware does not have a second official flag.

Interesting facts

Delaware's motto, Liberty and Independence, is in English and appears on the ribbon of the coat of arms.
The state is small in area, but it ratified the Constitution before every other state, five days before Pennsylvania.

You can compare it with other U.S. state flags, such as Connecticut, or view the flag of the United States.