North Dakota, which became the 39th state to join the Union in 1889, outfitted infantry regiments during the Spanish-American War and the Phillipine Island Insurrection in the late 1800s. The regimental flag carried into battle was made up of a field of deep blue with a Bald Eagle clutching an olive branch (representing peace) and arrows (representing liberty) in its claws. A shield on the bird’s breast bears 13 red and white stripes denoting the original 13 colonies, and a ribbon in its beak displays the words “E Pluribus Unum,†meaning “Out of Many, One†in Latin. Above the eagle is a yellow fan in the shape of a sunburst containing an array of 13 yellow stars representing the birth of a nation. The North Dakota State Flag of today, officially adopted in 1911 by the Legislative Assembly, is the same as the regimental flag with one exception: a red scroll beneath the eagle displays the words “North Dakota.†A bill to change the state flag was defeated in 1953.
