Red, white, and blue, with the state’s initials… North Carolina’s state flag is pretty straightforward but still manages to have a bold presence. A golden ribbon above the state initials “N” “C”, separated by a white star, bears the date “May 20, 1775,” commemorating the “Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence,” the day residents declared themselves “free and independent people”. And a similar ribbon below displays the date “April 12, 1776,” the date of the “Halifax Resolves.” when the North Carolina delegates at the Continental Congress were to vote for independence.
Throughout the Civil War, the “The Old North State” Infantry carried a regimental and Confederate flag but besides that period, the 1885 design remains unchanged to this day.
New Mexico
Like Arizona's state flag, New Mexico's flag strayed far away from the traditional U.S. flag design. With its simplistic yet profound Zia symbol and vibrant colors, it doesn't come by surprise that New Mexico was voted to having the 'Best State Flag' in a survey conducted by the North American Vexillological Association. In 1920, Dr. Harry Mera, a physician, and archeologist from Santa Fe, won a competition to create a new design for the state flag. Fascinated by the Zia sun symbol, he used it for inspiration. This symbol, scared to the Zia Native Americans, depicts the sun as a circle, representing the Circle of Life, with four groups of rays (with four rays in each group), radiating from it at right angles in four directions. In each group of rays, the two inner rays are longer than the two outer ones.
On New Mexico's state flag, the Zia sun is bright red, centered on a brilliant yellow background. The colors were chosen to honor the Spanish who came to explore Mexico in the 1500s. You may have noticed the reappearance of the number four in the sun symbol. The number four is a sacred number to the Zia people, representing the four winds, four seasons, four directions, and four sacred obligations: a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of others.
New York
New York's state flag features the state seal, adopted back in 1788, on a blue background. It may sound redundant; however, the detail on the seal is a masterpiece in its own right. On either side of the coat of arms are two goddesses, Liberty, in a blue gown, holding a staff with a Liberty cap and Justice, in gold, blindfolded and holding her scales. They symbolize “Liberty and Justice for all,”. If you have a good eye for detail, you may have already noticed the discarded crown at Liberty's feet, symbolizing freedom from British control.
Above the shield, is an American eagle looking toward the west, sitting atop a globe, signifying New York’s unique place in the world, Western expansion, as well as opportunity and optimism. Below the seal appears a banner with the state motto, “Excelsior”, Latin for “Ever Upward”. On the shield itself, there are two ships sailing the Hudson River, with three mountains in the background, and a sun rising.
North Dakota
The North Dakota state flag features elements that are familiar to most Americans. The classic bald eagle carrying an olive branch in one foot and a sheath of arrows in the other, a national symbol representing “peace through strength.”
On the eagle’s breast is a red, white, and blue shield with 13 strips and above the eagle are 13 stars, referencing the original 13 states. The eagle’s beak holds a banner displaying the national motto “E Pluburus Unum,”, “Out of Many, One” in Latin, which is also found on the United States currency. There is also a red banner beneath the eagle displays the state's name “North Dakota.”
Ohio
Adopted in 1902, the Ohio state flag, with its burgee shape, is the only none-rectangular state flag in the United States. The triangles formed by the five alternating red and white stripes represent hills and valleys, while the stripes themselves represent roads and waterways. The circle has a few meanings; it represents the Northwest Territory, the initial letter of “Ohio” and is also suggestive of the state's nickname the "Buckeye State."
The 13 stars to the left of the circle represent the 13 original states and the four additional ones to the right denote Ohio as the 17th state to join the Union.