On this day in Alabama history: Alabama formally adopted its state flag

February 16, 1895

The current flag of Alabama was adopted by the Alabama Legislature on Feb. 16, 1895, forming a crimson cross of St. Andrew on a field of white. The bars of the cross must be at least 6 inches wide; therefore, small representations of the Alabama flag don’t meet the legal definition. St. Andrew was crucified on a diagonal cross, according to records. The design was submitted by John W.A. Sanford Jr. His father had been commander of the 60^th Alabama Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, and Sanford modeled his design on the battle flag used by his father’s regiment. Alabama’s flag most closely resembles the flag of Florida, whose heritage is steeped in the heritage of the Spanish Cross of Burgundy. Southern Alabama was originally part of Spanish Florida. Alabama adopted its flag design five years earlier than Florida.

Read more at Wikipedia.

Missal featuring the crucifixion of St. Andrew. The parchment originates from East Anglia and is considered a very important manuscript as one of the earliest examples of a missal of an English source, c. 1310-1320. (National Library of Wales, Wikipedia)

Flag of Alabama. (Steve Hall, Wikipedia)

Alabama flag on display at Helen Keller’s birthplace in Tuscumbia, 2018. (Calstanhope, Wikipedia)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.