Confederate flag was a symbol of the Confederate States of America , the group of states that seceded (withdrew) from the United States in 1860 and 1861. The secession conflict, linked to disagreements over slavery and states’ rights, led to the American Civil War (1861-1865). The Confederacy used several different flag designs during its history. Its first national flag, known as the Stars and Bars, resembled the U.S. flag . The flag that most people today associate with the Confederacy is the Confederate battle flag. It has 13 stars within a diagonal blue cross on a red background.
Stars and Bars.
The Confederacy’s provisional Congress adopted and began to use the Stars and Bars flag on March 4, 1861. The flag had horizontal red bars, or stripes, on the top and bottom and a white bar in the middle. The flag’s canton (upper corner nearest the flagpole) had a blue square containing seven white stars. The stars represented the first seven states to secede from the Union: South Carolina , Mississippi , Florida , Alabama , Georgia , Louisiana , and Texas .
By June 1861, Arkansas , North Carolina , Virginia , and Tennessee had also seceded, making a total of 11 Confederate States. Secessionist groups also set up separate state governments in Kentucky and Missouri , even though those states stayed in the Union. Later Confederate flag designs featured stars for the additional states and state governments.
The battle flag.
Because the Stars and Bars so closely resembled the U.S. flag, soldiers in the Civil War often had difficulty distinguishing the banners during battle. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston thus sought designs for a new battle flag. In the autumn of 1861, he chose a design recommended to him by General Pierre G. T. Beauregard . The flag had 13 stars within a blue saltire, or diagonal cross, rimmed in white on a red background. The diagonal cross, a long-time symbol of Scotland, is often called St. Andrew’s cross.
The first versions of the battle flag were square and had a narrow white border around the outer edge. A rectangular version of the flag, without the white outer border, was first flown on Confederate warships . This f lag, called the Naval Jack , became popular as a parade flag. Today, it remains the most recognizable symbol of the Confederacy.
Other Confederate flags.
The Confederate Congress adopted a new national flag in 1863. This flag, known as the “Stainless banner,” was white with the battle flag design on the flag’s canton. Because this flag sometimes resembled a white flag of truce , its design was amended in March 1865. The new flag added a red bar on its fly (end farthest from the flagpole). This flag was seldom used, however, as its adoption came shortly before the end of the war.
Controversy.
In the years since the Civil War, many Southerners have used the Confederate battle flag (also known as the Flag of Dixie) as an expression of Southern heritage and pride. Many also believe the flag honors Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War. However, many other people consider the flag a symbol of slavery and take offense at its continued use.
