Should NH redesign its state flag?

The blue flag emblazoned with the New Hampshire state seal that currently flutters proudly above the State House could be in for a makeover—that is, if state legislators pass HB 210 or HB 176 this year. These bills look to redesign the official New Hampshire state flag. HB 210 would create a commission to study whether there should be a new flag, while HB 176 proposes a specific, new design featuring the Old Man of the Mountain.

Two proposals to redesign the state flag

The text of HB 210 explains why its sponsors think the New Hampshire state flag could be improved. It states, “The state flag of New Hampshire, consisting of the state seal on a dark blue background, is similar to the flags of over 20 other states which consist of an emblem on a dark blue background. As such, the state flag of New Hampshire fails to convey the sense that New Hampshire is unique among the 50 states.” This bill also accuses the current flag design of violating “vexillological principles.” (Vexillology, it turns out, is the name for the study of flag design, and comes from the Latin word vexillum or “banner.”)

This bill proposes creating a study commission to look at the current flag and consider redesigning it. The commission would include three members of the House of Representatives (at least one from each party, appointed by the Speaker of the House), a member of the Senate appointed by the Senate President, a representative of the New Hampshire Historical Society, and a representative of the New England Vexillological Association. The commission would start by reviewing the history of the current state flag and then recommend whether the flag should be redesigned and propose a process for doing so.

HB 176 cuts right to the chase by proposing an entirely new state flag design. The new flag would feature the Old Man of the Mountain on the hoist side with a blue and white background (white on the top half representing the White Mountains, blue on the bottom half representing the Seacoast), a circle of nine gold stars inside the Old Man’s silhouette, and the motto “Live Free or Die” in gold at the bottom. The new flag would be phased into use over two years.

This flag design is the brainchild of Andrew Flockton, a junior high student who was last year’s “Governor for a Day” and has been advocating for changing the state flag for several years now. He argues that his design, which incorporates both the Old Man and Gen. John Stark’s famous quote, would make our flag more memorable: “Everybody knows the Old Man of the Mountain. It’s on everything — our license plate, state emblem, state quarter,” he told us in a recent interview. You can read more about his proposed redesign—and see what it looks like—on his website.

What about the flag we have now?

New Hampshire did not have an official state flag until 1909. Since then, the state flag has only changed once, in 1931, when the state seal was modified. Our current state flag features the frigate Raleigh surrounded by laurel leaves and nine stars. The Raleigh was built at Portsmouth in 1776 and was one of the first 13 warships sponsored by the Continental Congress for the new American navy. This 32-gun ship was the first to carry the American flag into battle at sea. The ship’s history wasn’t all glory, though—she ran aground off the coast of Maine and was captured by the British, spending the rest of the Revolutionary War fighting for the Crown.

There have been a handful of bills to redesign the state flag over the years—you may recall HB 1016 from last year, which would have added “Live Free or Die” in Times New Roman font to the bottom of the current flag. So far, legislators have felt it best to leave the flag as it is. While the flag is not particularly unique, it has been a symbol of our state for nearly a century, and some see no reason to break with tradition.

What do you think?

Do you have an opinion about the state flag? If so, mark down February 12 in your calendar—both of these bills will have public hearings in the House on that day. HB 210 will have a hearing at 10:30 AM while HB 176’s hearing will occur at 2PM. Both will take place in room 306-308 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord. You can learn about how to prepare to voice your opinion at a public hearing in our Advocacy Toolkit tutorial. Do you have your own idea for a new state law? HB 176 is the result of Andrew Flockton’s collaboration with Rep. Ron Dunn (R-Londonderry). You can learn how to advocate for your own legislation here.