The flag of Pennsylvania is a triband consisting of three equal horizontal white, black, and white bands, with three white circles in the black band. The design was inspired by the coat of arms of William Penn (the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania). The first national flag of Pennsylvania was a blue flag defaced with the coat of arms. The modern flag was adopted in the early 1800s. A common misconception is that the three white circles on the flag represent the three founding states of Pennsylvania (Delaware, Susquehanna, and Wyoming).