Texas Flag (Lone Star Flag)

Texas Flag
Proportion2:3
AdoptedJanuary 25, 1839
UseNational Flag
Design1/2 of the hoist is blue including a single centered star of white color. The rest of the field is divided horizontally into a red and white bar.
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History and Adoption

The current state flag of Texas was adopted on January 25, 1839. On December 28, 1838, Senator William H Wharton, introduced the design of the flag to the Congress of the Republic of Texas. Just a month later it became the national flag, as Texas was an independent country.

On December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state of the United States and thus, the national flag of the Republic of Texas became the state flag of Texas. No changes were made to the design of the flag when it became the state flag.

The flag is also referred as the Lone Star Flag due to the single star that is located on the left hand side of the flag. However, an interesting fact is that nobody knows who actually designed the flag, though the credit of drawing an early image of the Lone Star Flag does go to Dr. Charles B. Stewart

Texas Flag Colors and Symbolism

The flag of Texas comprises three colors. These are dark red, white and royal blue. Each color of the flag has its own significance. While white signifies purity, blue stands for loyalty. The color red signifies bravery. The Lone Star, which is located on the part that is blue, represents all of Texas. The Lone Stands for unite as one God, State and Country.

However, the Lone Star even predates the flag itself. The Lone Star earlier was a symbol of the solidarity of Texans in declaring their independence from Mexico. Thus, the star is a symbol of the independent spirit of Texas.

The design of the flag is thus: One third of the flag is blue. This part of the flag comprises the Lone Star. The remaining part of the flag is divided horizontally between the two bars of white and red.

ColorCable colorPantoneWeb colorRGB Values
Dark Red70180193 C#BF0A30(191,10,48)
White70001Safe#FFFFFF(255,255,255)
Royal Blue (traditional)70075281 C#002868(0,40,104)

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas Flag and Protocol

The pledge of allegiance to the flag of Texas is as under:

"Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."



There is an interesting fact associated with the pledge of the flag of Texas. The pledge, which was adopted, initially referred to the Texas flag of 1836. It was the Texas Legislature that introduced the pledge in the year 1833 and the opening line was "Honor the Texas Flag of 1836..." It was only in the year 1865 that the pledge was corrected to the current one by doing away with the words ‘of 1836’.

A further addition was made to the pledge in 2007, when the phrase "one state under God" was added to it; however, it has been challenged in the court.

There are certain protocols associated with the state flag of Texas. Unless the flag of Texas is properly illuminated, one should not fly it earlier than sunrise or later than sunset. Moreover, the flag should not be flown when the weather is bad.

As per the law, the flag should be displayed either on or near the main administration building of each state institution. This should be done on each national or state holiday as well as any occasion, which is of historical significance.

As per the state law, the flag also needs to be flown at an International Port of Entry or near to it.

When the flag is displayed vertically, the blue stripe needs to be at the top. The white stripe of the flag needs to be to the left side of the red part, as per the perspective of the observer.

Vertical Texas Flag

Flag of Texas (proper vertical display) Proper vertical display of the Texas flag
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Historical flags of Texas

Spain (1519 to 1685; 1690 to 1821)

From 1519 till today, many flags have flown over Texas. The first flag that flew over Texas was of Spain. In fact, there were two Spanish flags that flew over the soil of Texas. Spain ruled over Texas from the years 1519 to 1685 and again from 1690 to 1821. So, there were two different flags that were flown over Spain during these years.

The earlier flag was the banner of Castile and Leon. The flag comprised a pair of castles and a pair of lions. However, one can still see the flag today at the Capitol building on the floor of the rotunda. The second flag was the one adopted by King Charles III. The flag, which comprised horizontal stripes of red and gold along with the classic arms of Castile and Leon, was the flag of Spain till 1931.

France (1685 to 1690)

From 1685 till 1690, the royal banner of the Kingdom of France flew over the Texan soil. The banner was used by René-Robert Cavalier, a French nobleman, who founded a colony on the Texas coast. However, at the time when Cavalier was undertaking his exploration, there was no official flag of France, hence a number of designs are used in the display of the six flags.

Mexican Federal Republic (1821 to 1836)

Following the independence of Mexico from Spain in 1821, the flag of Mexico became the flag of Texas. It remained the flag of Texas till 1836.

Republic of Texas (1836 to 1845)

In 1836, Texas achieved independence after a victory over Mexico. Texas became an independent country and hence had its own flag. However, during its history, Texas had two flags. The first flag, which was ‘The Burnet Flag’, was the flag of the Republic of Texas from 1836 till 1845. This flag comprised a dark blue background. A single yellow star was placed in the center of the flag. In 1845, Texas became a US state and the Lone Star Flag became the flag of the state of Texas.

The United States of America (1845 to 1861 and 1865 till present)

The flag of the United States is the fifth and the current flag of Texas. It has flown over Texas since 1845 when it became a state of the US, except for a brief period during the Civil War.

The Confederate Flag (1861 to 1865)

In 1861, Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. During the four-year period (1861 to 1865) when Texas was a part of the Confederacy three flags flew over the state. The first official flag of the Confederacy was known as Stars and Banners. It flew over the state from 1861 to 1863. The second flag, the Stainless Banner, flew over Texan soil from 1863 to 1865. The third flag was the Blood-Stained Banner, which was adopted in 1865.

National flags over Texas

FlagYears of UseType
Pavillon Royal de France Flag 1685-1689 French flag possibly used by Sieur de La Salle, Rene-Robert Cavelier, during the French colonization of Texas.
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Cross of Burgundy Flag 1690-1785 Ensign of New Spain and state flag, known as the Cross of Burgundy flag.
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Flag of Spain 1785-1873 and 1875-1931 1785-1820 Spanish state flag on land.
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Flag of Mexico 1821-1823 1821-1823 The first Mexican Empire flag.
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Flag of Mexico 1823-1864 and 1867-1893 1823-1836 The Mexican Republic first flag, flown over land claimed by Mexico until the Texas Revolution.
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Flag of the Republic of Texas 1836-1839 1836-1839; 1839-1879 The Burnet Flag, used from Dec 1836 to 1839 as the national flag of Texas until it was replaced by the current Lone Star Flag; it was flag of the de jure war from then until 1879.
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Flag of Texas 1839-1845/1846 National flag of Republic of Texas from 1839-1845/1846 (similar to modern state flag).
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US Flag 28 Stars 1845-1861, 1865-present United States of America flag in 1846 when Texas admitted to Union.
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Flag of the Confederate States of America March 1861 - May 1861 1861-1865 Confederate states of America flag in 1861 when state of Texas became a part of the Confederacy.
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Pre-Revolutionary Flags

FlagYears of UseType
Magee-Gutierrez Coup d'état Flag 1812-1813 Emerald flag of Bernardo Gutierrez and Augustus W. Magee's short lived coup of 1812-1813.
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Louis de Aury Flag 1816-1817 Louis Michel Aury used it as Civil and Military Governor of Texas.
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Flag of New Granada 1811-1814 1817-1821 Pirate Jean Lafitte used it at Galveston Island.
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Jane Long Flag 1819 The 1st individually Texan flag to primarily feature a lone star.
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Colonel James Long's Flag Colonel James Long's flag - the 2nd of the flags of Texas with a Lone Star after the Jane Long flag.
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Fredonian Rebellion Flag of 1826 1826 Fredonian Rebellion Flag.
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Flag of Coahuila y Tejas 1821-1836 Alleged flag of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas, though the design and color of the stars are hypothetical.
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Revolutionary flags

FlagYears of UseType
Texas Flag Come and Take It 1835 The Come and Take It Flag used in 1835 - Texas settlers used this flag at the Battle of Gonzales in October 1835.
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Goliad Flag 1835 Flag flown over the Declaration of Independence of Goliad; likely the Bloody arm flag noted to have accompanied the "Dodson flag" at the Declaration of Independence of Texas.
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Alamo Flag 1824 1835-1836 The Alamo Flag used in 1835-1836 and created in 1835, it was a reference to the Mexican constitution of year 1824, in support of which the rebels of Texas were battling; allegedly flew at the Alamo.
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Brown's Flag of Independence 1836 1836 - Brown flag of Independence, probably the Bloody Arm Flag noted to have used the "Dodson flag" at the Declaration of Independence of Texas.
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Texas Dodson Flag The Dodson Flag or the Dodson Tricolor flag - During the Revolution, it is drafted and sewn by a Mrs. Sarah Dodson.
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Texas Proposed Flag Flag drafted by Stephen F. Austin between Dec 1835 and Jan 1836 while working as a commissioner to the US.
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Flag of the Republic of Texas 1836-1839 1836-1839; 1839-1879 Known as Burnet Flag, used from 1836 to 1839 as the national flag of Texas until it was replaced by Lone Star Flag (currently used); it was the flag used in de jure war from then until 1879.
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Flag of the Republic of Texas 1835-1839 1836-39 The Lone Star and Stripes / Ensign of the 1st Texas Navy / War Ensign; it was the de facto national flag between 1835 - 1839.
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De Zavala Flag May 11, 1836 The purported 1st official flag of the Republic of Texas, reportedly designed or drafted by Lorenzo de Zavala.
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Captain Scott's Flag October 28, 1835 Captain William Scott's Liberals used this flag on October 28, 1835 in the Battle of Concepcion.
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Georgia Battalion Flag Under this flag, the Georgia Battalion of Volunteers marched to Texas to take part in the battle against Mexico.
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Baker's San Felipe Flag Started by Gail Borden Jr., this flag was believed to have been flown at San Jacinto battle.
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Captain Burroughs' Flag From Ohio A company from Ohio and Captain George H. Burroughs came to Texas under this banner.
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New Orleans Grays' Flag From Ohio March 27, 1826 The New Orleans Grays engaged in driving the Mexicans from San Antonio and many were killed at Goliad on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1826.
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Red Rover's Flag March 27, 1836 The flag of the Alabama Red Rovers who were killed or massacred with Colonel James Fannin in the fight of Goliad on March 27, 1836.
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San Jacinto Flag San Jacinto Liberty Flag - The Sherman regiment used this flag to victory at the conclusive battle of San Jacinto.
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Flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande Flag 1840 Republic of the Rio Grande, which declared control over a large part of South Texas.
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Republic of Texas flags

FlagYears of UseType
Texas Flag 1836-1839 1836-1839; 1839-1879 The Burnet Flag, used from 1836 to 1839 as the national flag of Texas until it was replaced by Lone Star Flag (the currently used flag); it was flag of the de jure war from then until 1879.
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Texas Flag 1835-1839 1836-1839 De facto national flag and war ensign between 1835 - 1839; replaced by the Lone Star Flag (currently used) upon its adoption; it was also the ensign of the 1st Texas Navy from 1836 - 1839, when it was officially recouped by the Lone Star Flag as the naval ensign.
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Republic of Texas Flag 1839-1845/6 The Lone Star Flag, the national flag of Republic of Texas from 1839-1845/6; official naval ensign for the navy of Texas from 1839.
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Texas Revenue Service Flag 1839-1845 1839-1845 Revenue Service Flag.
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Texas Coasting Trader Flag (1839-1845) 1839-1845 Coasting Trader Ensign.
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Texas Pilot Flag 1839-1845 1839-1845 Pilot flag.
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State flags over Texas

FlagYears of UseType
Flag of Coahuila y Tejas 1824-1835 The State of Coahuila y Tejas flag in the Republic of Mexico.
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Flag of Texas 1845-present Flag of the State of Texas in the USA.
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Secession flags of Texas, 1861

FlagYears of UseType
Texas Secession Flag Variant 1 February and March of 1861 Possible secession flag based on the state of Texas flag.
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Texas Secession Flag Variant 2 February and March of 1861 Possible secession flag based on the Blue Flag of Bonnie.
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Proposed Governor's flag

FlagYears of UseType
Standard of Governor of Texas Flag Proposed standard of the Governor of Texas. The Legislature of Texas failed to adopt this flag.
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