# Best and worst state flags in North America **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694 "2001-06-21T21:45:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/81 "2001-06-30T07:26:14Z")
> [@](#): > > If somebody asks you which 3 states were independent republics before they joined the union, the more proper answer is “Texas, Hawaii and Vermont”. I thought Hawaii was a monarchy before it was annexed? ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/82 "2001-06-30T13:19:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > **It could have been worse. When talk of changing the flag came up, I half expected the powers that be to slap a peach on a bedsheet. Thank God _that_ didn’t happen. (Though it may yet…) I don’t understand my native state’s fascination with the peach logo. Hell, South Carolina grows more peaches than we do. In fact, I’m not sure that I’ve ever even seen a commercial peach orchard in Georgia. Where are they?** I believe they’re in South Carolina. I could be wrong, but I’ve heard that they produce more peaches than Georgia. I prefer nectarines, anyway, no fuzz. Nyah nyah. Let’s just hope they don’t copy the licence plates. Do you know how embarassed I am driving around with a SONG LYRIC on my license plate? It’s just STUPID. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/83 "2001-06-30T14:16:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Northern Piper \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > If somebody asks you which 3 states were independent republics before they joined the union, the more proper answer is “Texas, Hawaii and Vermont”. > > I thought Hawaii was a monarchy before it was annexed? \*\* Correct. I should have said independent _nations_. People always get Hawaii and Texas. They usually want to answer “California”, but the “Bear Flag Republic” lasted less than a month, and never really established itself as a functioning government, and hardly controlled all of Alta California. Many people don’t know that Vermont was hanging out on its own for 14 years following the Revolution, and actually functioned as a self-governing entity called The Republic of Vermont: [http://www.letmeshowyouvermont.com/republic.htm](http://www.letmeshowyouvermont.com/republic.htm) ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/84 "2001-06-30T16:42:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > Some people could be confused between **Mississippi** and **Alabama** perhaps. \*\* The flag of [Alabama](http://www.fotw.ca/flags/us-al.html) is much more likely to be mistaken for that of [Florida](http://www.fotw.ca/flags/us-fl.html) than that of [Mississippi](http://www.fotw.ca/flags/us-ms.html). > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Northern Piper \* > \*\*I thought Hawaii was a monarchy before it was annexed? \*\* Nope. Not at the time of annexation, anyway. In 1893, the Queen was arrested, a provisional government was formed, and the country applied for annexation to the United States. Unimpressed with the actions of the American businessmen who had engineered the coup, the US demurred, and a [Republic](http://stamps.about.com/hobbies/stamps/library/weekly/aa110400f.htm) was formed. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, William McKinley reconsidered the American position, and Hawaii shortly became a US territory. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/85 "2001-06-30T17:29:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dqa \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > > Some people could be confused between **Mississippi** and **Alabama** perhaps. \*\* > > The flag of [Alabama](http://www.fotw.ca/flags/us-al.html) is much more likely to be mistaken for that of [Florida](http://www.fotw.ca/flags/us-fl.html) than that of [Mississippi](http://www.fotw.ca/flags/us-ms.html). Please go back and read my post again. **Bad News Baboon** had stated that the **shape** of **Texas** was the **most recognizable of all the states** and that possibly **California** was in second place. I disagreed and said that… **well go and read it**. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/86 "2001-06-30T18:04:47Z")
On shapes - does anybody else find the name of the Belcher Islands particularly appropriate given the shape of Quebec? ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/87 "2001-06-30T20:44:31Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by kniz_ > **I wasn’t talking about the flags of Ala. or Miss.** Whoops. Right you are. I just scanned quickly over the post, but should have looked before leaping to conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/88 "2001-07-01T00:19:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\*I would have placed [South Carolina](http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=106210) higher up than #10. Actually, South Carolina’s flag is probably my favorite of North American flags, and one of my all-time favorites period. > > [sub]And yes, Georgia’s new flag is really, really bad.[/sub] \*\* Me, too; I think South Carolina’s flag is great. I do agree that Maryland’s should be in the top 5; it is a very distinctive design and completely unique. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694/89 "2001-07-01T23:44:41Z")
I lived in Maryland for many years and was glad to see it make the tops - but one that I’ve always liked is [Tennessee](http://fotw.vexillum.com/flags/us-tn.html), which handily meets the site’s qualifications. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-state-flags-in-north-america/69694.md?page=4)