The current flag of New York State, while steeped in history, lacks the unique visual identity that reflects the diverse and vibrant state. Therefore, I propose adopting the Empire State Flag--a redesign that incorporates significant elements of New York's rich past and always rising future. This includes an imperial design to represent the Empire State, references to Dutch and British colonial history acknowledging New York's roots, and the incorporation of the White Rose of York as a symbol of purity and light. The design also resembles the sunrise over water motif from the current state flag and seal. This doubles as a visual representation of our state motto: “Excelsior,” meaning "ever upward." Additionally, the design features 5 distinct white "rays," serving as a nod to its British colonial history but primarily symbolizing New York's five most important waterways: The Hudson River, the Erie Canal, the Long Island Sound, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. (The blue in the flag represents the Atlantic Ocean. As a bonus, the rays in the redesign also serve as an ambiguous reference to the Statue of Liberty without being too "on the nose," as this is a flag for all of New York State, not just New York City.) Lastly, it subtly includes a hidden 5-point star representing NY’s place as one among many in the Union.  This redesigned flag will better encapsulate what New York stands for today while honoring its past. Let's adopt this new emblem that truly represents New York and its people--Excelsior! Please sign this petition to support adopting this redesigned flag for New York State.

In a few variants of my New York State flag redesign, I chose to use buff color accents to symbolize the state's historical connection to the American Revolution. George Washington granted special privilege to the New York and New Jersey regiments to wear the distinctive blue-and-buff uniforms to recognize their loyalty and contributions to the Continental Army. The use of buff (and blue) in these variants pay tribute to this honor, highlights New York’s significant role in securing American independence, and acknowledges its special relationship with Washington.

(While I came up with this redesign concept entirely on my own, I must recognize and give credit to the design of the user TMD on Vexillology Wikipedia, who came up with a similar redesign of New York State. You can view his work at the bottom of this page. The White Rose of York used in these flag redesigns is a public, free-to-use, no-copyright image taken from Wikipedia and color-modified.)

BUFF VARIANTS:

EMPIRE STATE FLAG VERSION 2:

This version of the Empire State Flag offers a fresh perspective by focusing on core aspects of New York's identity while moving away from colonial symbolism. The solid purple field directly evokes the state's enduring nickname, the "Empire State," with purple traditionally associated with imperial royalty and lending a sense of historical prestige. This unique color in flags also resonates with New Yorkers' sense of being distinct from other Mid-Atlantic and New England states, and serves as a callback to the Iroquois Confederacy, which historically governed much of present-day New York. At the center of the flag, the White Rose of York is deliberately positioned to represent New York State as a central hub of attention and commerce in the world, honoring its namesake, heritage, and status as the state flower. The five spokes (or leaves) radiating from this central charge symbolize New York's five major bodies of water—the Hudson River, the Erie Canal, the Long Island Sound, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario—grounding the symbolism in the state's vital geography and also forming a hidden five-point star to subtly acknowledge its place in the Union. These nodes expand outwards in all directions, further representing the flow of commerce and embodying the state motto, "Excelsior" (ever upward), a sentiment also reflected in the upward-pointing hidden star. The inclusion of blue and buff accents pays tribute to New York's distinguished role during the American Revolution, recalling the special blue-and-buff uniforms granted to its regiments by George Washington in recognition of their loyalty and crucial contributions to the Continental Army. Finally, the incorporation of six colors in the design (purple, white, orange, blue, buff, and black outlines) subtly acknowledges New York as the sixth state to join the Union. This design aims to encapsulate New York's present identity, significant historical moments, and aspirational future without relying on overt colonial references.

Great New York Flag Redesigns from Other Designers: