Officially adopted by the Kansas State Legislature in 1927 and first flown at Fort Riley by Governor Ben Paulin for the troops at Fort Riley and for the Kansas National Guard, the State Flag displays the Kansas State Seal centered on a blue field. Above the seal is the state crest, a sunflower resting on a twisted blue and gold bar. Below the seal in gold block lettering is the name of the state, "KANSAS"

LARGE FLAG      COLOR ME FLAG

The State Crest consists of a twisted blue and gold bar representing the Louisiana Purchase, from which Kansas was carved. The state flower, the Sunflower is depicted as if "torn from its stalk." Some say that the "open frankness of the Sunflower is indicative of the fearlessness with which Kansas meets her problems and solves them." 

The State Seal centered on the flag tells, eloquently, the story of Kansas. The thirty-four stars clustered at the top of the seal identify Kansas as the 34th state to be accepted into the Union. Above the stars is printed the state motto, "Ad Astra per Aspera", Latin for "To the Stars through Difficulties."

The rolling hills around Fort Riley are reflected in the seal. The Indians hunting American Bison, the prairie schooners heading west and the oxen mirror the expanding frontier. The farmer, plowing his field before his cabin represent agricultural assets while the steamboat navigating the Kansas River, delivering supplies to Manhattan and Fort Riley represent commerce within the state.

If you want more information on the State Flags of the United States, you might want to check How Proudly They Wave: Flags of the Fifty States by Rita D. Haban. This book is geared toward kids... and for adults like me who want to know about the history and design significance of the flags of all fifty states but can't find this information in an expensive encyclopedia.

Purchase Kansas State Flags: You may purchase quality state flags from Amazon