Flag of Massachusetts
 | |
| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted | March 21, 1971 |
| Flag of the governor of Massachusetts | |
 | |
| Design | State flag in the form of a pennant |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts' flag in the United States has been represented by official but limited-purpose flags since 1776, though until 1908 it had no state flag per se to represent its government. A variant of the white flag with blue seal was carried by each of the Massachusetts volunteer regiments during the Civil War alongside the National Colors. An exception were the two "Irish regiments" (the 9th and 28th Volunteers), each of which was permitted to carry an alternative green flag with a harp symbol. The state currently has three official flags: a state flag, a "naval and maritime flag" (despite it no longer having its own navy), and a governor's flag.
Naval and maritime flag
In April 1776, the Massachusetts Navy adopted, as its flag (naval ensign), a white field charged with a green pine tree and the motto "An Appeal to Heaven." In 1971 the motto was removed, and the flag was designated "the naval and maritime flag of the Commonwealth".[1]
Massachusetts is one of only two states with its own naval ensign — the other is Maine, which was part of Massachusetts until 1820.
