On first glance, the Iowa State Flag looks strikingly similar to the design of the French Flag. The background of the Iowa State Flag consists of three stripes of blue, white and red – exactly the same as the design of the Flag of France. However, there is one defining feature that makes the Iowa Flag different from all others – the image of an eagle placed directly in the center.
The design of the Iowa Flag was actually intended to appear very similar to the French Flag. The blue, white and red stripes on the flag are representative of the fact that Iowa was originally part of the French Louisiana Territory.
Unlike the French Flag, the white stripe in the center of the Iowa flag is actually much wider than the other two stripes. Directly in the center sits the image of a bald eagle, one of the symbols of the United States of America. The eagle is holding a banner in its mouth, containing the words “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain”, which is taken directly from the Great Seal of the State of Iowa. The word IOWA is printed in red, directly below the image of the eagle on the flag.
The Flag of Iowa was originally approved in May 1917; however, it was not officially adopted as the state banner until a few years later in 1921. It was first approved by the Iowa State Council for Defense. Just as with many other state flags, the Iowa Flag owes its roots to the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Iowa State Flag was originally designed and created by a Knoxville resident named Mrs. Dixie Cornell Gebhardt, a member of the organization. The Iowa State Flag truly does show deep rooted ties to not only America, but to its original governing country, France, as well.
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