• Year First Flown: 1865 (original), 1911 (current)
• Designed By: Lewis Cass (coat of arms)
• Design: A blue flag with the Michigan coat of arms placed in the center. The coat of arms consists of: a man standing one a peninsula with a gun in one hand and the other hand making a peaceful gesture, an elk, a moose, an American eagle holding an olive branch, the word "TUEBOR", the U.S. national motto on a red banner, and the state's motto on a white banner.
• Meaning: The illustration of the man with a gun is meant to signify Michigan's preparedness to defend the United States. The word "TUEBOR", which translates to "I will Defend", is written to signify Michigan's position as a frontier state. The elk and moose are illustrated to represent the state's wildlife. The states motto "Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice" translates to "If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You". The eagle, which is the national bird of the U.S., represents the authority of the United States of America.

Michigan first joined the Union as a state on January 26th, 1837, and since then the state has had three official state flags. The first flag of Michigan also had a field of blue and had a design on both sides. One side of the flag displayed an image of the state's first governor, Stevens Thomson Mason, and the opposite side depicted a soldier, a woman, and the Michigan coat of arms. In 1865 the flag was altered to its second design, with the U.S. coat of arms replacing the portrait of Mason. Finally, in 1911, the Michigan state flag was altered to create its current design. The time the flag was changed to a one-sided design because two-sided flags were much more expensive and difficult to manufacture. The current flag consists of a blue field and the Michigan coat of arms.