The Texas state flag is also known as the Lone Star Flag, which is why Texas is also know as the Lone Star State. Senator William H. Wharton, representative of the District of Brazoria, first introduced the Lone Start Flag design to the Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1838. Wharton was a one of the early advocates for an independent Texas and he served as a colonel adjudge advocate general during the Texas Revolution. Though there remains dispute regarding the designer of the flag, some say it was Wharton’s own design, the Lone Star Flag was adopted by the Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1839 as the Republic’s last national flag. The previous national flags associated wit the Republic of Texas were those of Spain and France. (Our next post will explore the “six flags of Texas” and how each came to be an important part of Texas’ history.)
Despite its adoption as the flag of the Republic of Texas, the Lone Star Flag was not adopted as the official state flag of Texas for nearly another century. Though widely recognized as the state’s sole flag, it wasn’t until the passage of the 1933 Texas Flag Code that the Lone Star Flag garnered the official title of state flag. The code also assigned symbolism to the colors and star that comprise the flag’s design citing that blue stands for loyalty, white for purity and red for bravery. The lone star on the flag “represents ALL of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State, and Country.”
Believe it or not, there are numerous organizations devoted to the study of flags, also know as vexillology. One such group is the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA). In 2001, NAVA conducted a survey designed to rate the flags of U.S. states and Canadian provinces in terms of design quality. Texas’ Lone Star Flag received the second highest score, earning an 8.3 out of a possible ten points. Perhaps somewhat ironically, New Mexico’s flag came in first.