The official flag for the state of Minnesota is made up of the state seal surrounded by a wreath of flowers on a medium blue background. Three dates appear on the wreath: 1858, the year Minnesota became a state; 1819, the year the first settlement at Fort Snelling was established; and 1893, the year the first official flag was adopted. A red ribbon at the top of the seal proclaims the state motto: “L’Etoile du Nord,†French for star of the north. Surrounding the seal is a circular banner containing 19 stars denoting Minnesota as the 19th state to join the union after the original 13 colonies. The largest star, located at the top, represents the North Star, and the word “Minnesota†is located at the bottom. An error in the original flag displaying a wreath of white lady’s slipper flowers, not native to the state, was corrected in 1957. Now the flag displays the pink and white lady’s slipper, the state flower.
