New York’s state flag was created in the late 1700s, and the state still has one of the original designs. It has a more complicated design than some of the flags of other states in the United States. Its motto is “excelsior,” which means “ever upward” or “ever higher” in Latin. New York’s state flag has an abundance of symbolic images dating back hundreds of years. The flag has not been modified since 1882.
Most of the design featured on New York’s state flag has been in existence since 1777. Although it has undergone some modifications, today’s state flag is essentially the same flag design as the one that existed during the Civil War. Since then, the great seal and therefore the state flag has undergone at least five changes, ranging from minor to moderate.
A stylized rising sun with bursts of yellow flowing outward is the center of New York’s state flag. This sun is poised above a river landscape representing the Hudson River, which has a drawing of two ships. The landscape is shown in the center of a shield flanked on both sides by pictures of women who represent liberty and justice. These women are accompanied by symbols representing who they are, such as a fallen crown next to Liberty and a blindfold over Justice’s eyes. This entire scene is complemented by the word "excelsior" on a banner below and represented on a field of blue, which makes up the rest of the flag.
New York’s state flag motto is “excelsior”, which basically means “lofty” or “elevated.” On the state flag, it is thought to mean to achieve ever larger goals. It can also be seen on the seal of the state. There is some confusion on how to use the word in a sentence. At one point, the word was trademarked as a term for a kind of stuffing material. New York has only one motto, unlike some other states, which have multiple mottos in various languages.
The seal is basically the same as New York’s state flag, depicting two women who stand for justice and liberty. In addition, this symbol is the state’s coat of arms. Other symbols of New York have little to do with the flag, but some are far more popular than others. For example, “I heart New York” is the state’s official slogan, though “heart” is usually written as a drawing of a heart.
