<P> The flag was designed by Colonel LeRoy Reeves of the Tennessee National Guard, a Johnson City attorney who was serving in the Tennessee National Guard in 1905 when he created the new flag design . </P> <P> The Tennessee State Legislature officially adopted the flag on April 17, 1905 . </P> <P> The three stars represent the three Grand Divisions of the state, East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee . The blue circle around the stars represents the unity of the "Grand Divisions" of the state . The blue bar at the edge of the flag was just a design consideration . When asked about the blue bar, Reeves stated that "The final blue bar relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when hanging limp ." The National Geographic magazine erroneously reported in October 1917 that the stars represent Tennessee's status as the third state to enter the United States after the original thirteen . </P> <P> Tennessee state law dictates on how the center emblem is drawn on the flag . </P>

What do the 3 stars stand for on the tennessee flag