Massachusetts

The current flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shows the state coat of arms on a white field in a 3:5 proportion. The coat of arms was adopted in 1775. The first state flag version was adopted in 1908 as a two-sided design, and the reverse side was removed in 1971, creating the present single-sided flag. The shield includes an Indigenous figure with a bow and a downward-pointing arrow signifying peace, a gold star representing Massachusetts as one of the original thirteen colonies, and an arm above the shield holding a broadsword. The blue ribbon bears the Latin motto “Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem,” meaning “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.”