Chesterfield New Hampshire Historical Society
How the New Hampshire State Flag Came to Be!
Before 1909 there was no official State of New Hampshire flag. Previously, the state was represented by numerous regimental or county flags. The flag's evolution is tied directly to the State Seal. It all began with the New Hampshire’s First Provincial Congress. During its deliberations, it was decided that all symbols that tied the colony to England or the King would be abolished.
One important symbol was the colony’s seal.
Seals are used to authenticate legal and governmental documents. In 1775, the first State Seal was created. It reflected the state’s two major economic resources, the pine tree and fishing. A bundle of arrows was added to symbolize the strength of unity among the then five counties.
When the 1776 State Constitution was replaced in 1784, the legislature also revised the seal. New Hampshire had become a leading ship manufacturer. Therefore, a ship in stocks with an optimistically rising sun behind it reflected the State’s importance to the new nation. Items to be shipped would be in the foreground. Encircling it would be the Latin phase, "Neo Hantoniensis 1784 Sigillum Republica" (The Seal of the Republic of New Hampton 1784).
On December 28, 1792, the US Congress adopted a regulation requiring state militias to carry the national flag along with regimental colors displaying their state's seal. Unfortunately, the details of the 1784 seal were vaguely written. Over time, the seal became the victim of artistic license. The scene continually changed. Sometimes people appeared on the docks or rum barrels would pop up along with shipbuilding material. The sun moved across the background and at times other buildings were added.
Finally in 1909, the State adopted a Flag Law. The State Flag would have a blue background with the state seal in the center. It would be framed by a wreath of laurel with nine stars interspersed, signifying New Hampshire’s honored position as the ninth and deciding state to ratify the US Constitution.
But, there was still a problem with the inconsistency of the seal. On the advice of NH Historical Society director, Otis G. Hammond, in 1931 Governor John G. Winant formed a committee whose purpose was to accurately clarify how the seal should appear. The committee decided that the ship in stocks would be the frigate USS Raleigh, built in Portsmouth in 1776. It was one of the first 13 warships authorized by the Continental Congress for the new American navy. The old Latin phrase would be replaced with “Seal of the State of New Hampshire 1776". Only a granite boulder would appear in the foreground, symbolic of the Granite State’s rugged terrain and the character of its citizens. This was all spelled out in a lengthy paragraph designating dimensions, locations, and precise content. Since then, consistency has ruled and New Hampshire State Flag has remained the same for 91 years.
