What does the Kentucky flag symbolize?

The two men shaking hands, a frontiersman and a statesman, stand for unity. The motto "United we stand, divided we fall" supports this, and the goldenrod represents the state flower.

What is on the Kentucky state flag?

The flag shows the state seal on navy blue, with the words Commonwealth of Kentucky above and the motto below. Two sprigs of goldenrod appear at the bottom.

What is the Kentucky state motto?

The official motto is "Deo gratiam habeamus," meaning "Let us be grateful to God." The flag instead carries the seal's motto, "United we stand, divided we fall."

What is the only state flag that is two-sided?

Oregon has a different design on each side. Kentucky's flag shows its seal on the front, like most state flags.

Kentucky Flag: Meaning, Seal & History of the State Flag

Q: When was the Kentucky flag adopted?

The General Assembly adopted the flag on March 26, 1918.

The Kentucky flag is a navy blue field with the state seal in the center: a frontiersman and a statesman clasping hands, framed by the words COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY and two sprigs of goldenrod. The state adopted it in 1918.

What the Kentucky state flag looks like

The Kentucky state flag has a navy blue field with the state seal at its center. The seal is a circular image of two men facing each other and shaking hands. One is a frontiersman in buckskin clothing, and the other is a statesman in a formal suit. Around the figures, the words COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY curve along the top of the circle, and the motto UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL runs along the bottom.

Beneath the seal, two sprigs of goldenrod, the state flower, form a partial wreath. The seal and goldenrod stand out against the navy blue field.

Kentucky flag meaning and symbolism

The handshake is the heart of the flag. It is usually read as a symbol of unity, with the frontiersman representing Kentucky's pioneer origins and the statesman representing the law and government that followed. The motto United we stand, divided we fall underlines the point that cooperation is what keeps a community together.

The goldenrod is the official state flower, and its sprigs on the flag link the banner to the land. The word Commonwealth is worth noting: Kentucky is one of four states, along with Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, that officially call themselves commonwealths, a term that stresses government for the common good. The state's separate Latin motto, Deo gratiam habeamus, or "Let us be grateful to God," is not on the flag.

History of the Kentucky flag

Kentucky became the 15th state in 1792 and used its seal for official purposes long before it had a flag. The General Assembly adopted the flag on March 26, 1918. The design placed the state seal on a field of navy blue, with goldenrod below, and it has remained the basic Kentucky flag since.

To compare it with other states, browse our U.S. state flags page, or look at the Indiana flag across the Ohio River. For the national flag, see the United States page.