In Massachusetts, he said, the sword was added to memorialize liberty from the British. Massachusetts and Mississippi, which incorporates the Confederate battle flag in its state flag, are now the states most often criticized for their flags, said Ted Kaye, one of the country’s foremost flag experts. The current version was designed in 1898.
State archives indicate that the sword was intended to symbolize armed resistance to British tyranny. During the American Revolution, a sword was introduced. The Massachusetts seal, first designed in 1629, originally depicted a Native American with these words: “Come over and help us.” The seal has been redesigned multiple times, with a mishmash of features from different Indian tribes.
