why does the flag of hawaii have the union jack
Flag of Hawaii The flag of the state of Hawaii (Hawaiian: Ka Hae HawaiÊ»i) is the official flag for the U.S. state of Hawaii. The same flag had also previously been used by the kingdom, protectorate, republic, and territory of Hawaii. It is the only U.S. state flag to feature the flag of a foreign country, in this case the Union Jack of the United Kingdom, a remnant of the British Empire's influence on Hawaiian history.
Flag of the United States On April 4, 1818, a plan was passed by Congress at the suggestion of U.S. Naval Captain Samuel C. Reid[40] in which the flag was changed to have 20 stars, with a new star to be added when each new state was admitted, but the number of stripes would be reduced to 13 so as to honor the original colonies. The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day) following admission of one or more new states. The most recent change, from 49 stars to 50, occurred in 1960 when the present design was chosen, after Hawaii gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska in January 1959 prompted the debut of a short-lived 49-star flag.[41]