The Flag of Montana: History, Meaning, and Symbolism

Flags can be found all over the world, where they represent many things, including countries, states, and political movements. They are often brightly coloured and can consist of a wide variety of shapes, images, and even writing. However, flags aren’t just simple visual symbol of a place, they can actually tell an entire story through their colours or images. In many cases flags can represent history, war, peace, power, and even hope. But what does the flag of Montana symbolize? Join us as we learn all about what the flag symbolizes, it’s history, and any changes made to it. We’ll also briefly explore the history of the state. Let’s get started!

About Montana

Montana is a state located in the western region of the US. Although the eastern region is mainly prairies and badlands, the western half of the state is mainly mountainous. In fact, Montana’s very name represents its mountainous geography. Montana comes from the Spanish word montaña which means mountain, and the Spanish word in turn comes from the Latin word montanea which means mountainous.

In 1803 Montana was formed part of the Louisiana Purchase. This was a vast land purchase by the US from France. Other regions included Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. However, although France had owned the land, much of the area – including Montana – had long been inhabited by various native American tribes.

After being part of several other territories, the Montana Territory was formed in 1864. However, as settlers began to inhabit the area several conflicts with the native tribes ensued. The most notable was the Battle of the Little Bighorn – also known as Custer’s Last Stand – which took place in June 1876. At approximately the same time as these conflicts bison – the primary source of food for many native Americans – were being hunted almost to extinction. Although there were originally estimated to be millions of bison in the area, by the late 1800’s there were only a few hundred remaining.

Shortly after it became a US territory, Montana attempted to join the Union in 1866. However, this bid was unsuccessful. A second attempt was made in 1884, but Congress did not grant the area statehood until 1889. Montana became the 41^st US state on November 8, 1889. This was just six days after North Dakota and South Dakota and three days before Washington.

History of the Flag of Montana

Like many US state flags, the flag of Montana consists of the state seal on a dark blue field. The name of the state is featured in bold letters above the state seal, although this was not added until 1981 to allow the flag to be distinguished from other similar looking state flags.

Although Montana officially became a US state in 1889 it did not have a state flag until 1905. However, the state flag is actually based on the flag that was carried by the First Montana Infantry in the Spanish-American war in 1898. The regiment was originally going to carry the 45-star US flag as their regimental colours, but Colonel Kessler felt that they need a more unique flag of their own to distinguish them. Therefore, he commissioned a flag himself. The flag featured the state seal on a dark background and had the words, “1^st Montana Infantry U.S.V.” above the seal.

By the time the regiment returned to the state the following year after the war their flag had grown in popularity and was widely considered to be a fitting symbol for the state. Colonel Kessler gave the flag to the Governor of the state for it to be displayed across Montana.

By the time 1905 came around the flag had long been considered the unofficial state flag. However, there were growing calls for it to be recognized officially. Therefore, Colonel Kessler’s flag was announced as the official state flag, albeit without the words “1^st Montana Infantry”.

Symbolism and Meaning

As we’ve already mentioned, flags can represent many different things. The flag of Montana represents the state itself through the detailed images depicted on the state seal in the centre.

For a start, it features several mountains which represent the famous Rocky Mountains that are located in the state. It also includes the Great Falls and the Missouri River. The Great Falls are a series of five waterfalls along a ten mile stretch of the river and are a popular tourist attraction. They are Colter Falls (6ft 7in), Crooked Falls (19ft), Black Eagle Falls (26ft 5in), Rainbow Falls (44ft 6in), and Big Falls (87ft).

To the left of the river is a set of trees which represents the state’s forests and natural beauty. In the foreground is a plough and a crossed pick and shovel. These symbolize the farming and mining industries which are both highly important to the state.

Finally, at the bottom of the seal is a ribbon with the words, “Oro y plata” which is the state motto. This motto is Spanish for “gold and silver” which is again a nod to the mining industry in the state. In fact, one of Montana’s unofficial nicknames is “The Treasure State”. This is due to the large amounts of gold and silver that are found in the mountains.

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © ZuiRoman/Shutterstock.com