Confederate flag
Several Confederate flags have existed in history, the most recent one being the most well known. During the Civil War, three successive flags served as the official flag of the Confederate States of America. While segregationists and white supremacists have used the current flag in their activities, the flag's main purpose was to honor Confederate veterans and for Southern pride and heritage, and racist groups did not adopt the flag until decades later.
History
Confederate States of America
- For a more exhaustive list of flags used by the Confederacy, see Confederate States of America#Flags of the Confederacy
The first official flag of the C.S.A. was called the Stars and Bars and was adopted in March of 1861.[1] The flag was chosen because it resembled the Union flag.[2] However, the flag quickly became unpopular because it was hard to distinguish from the American flag on the battlefield, making it dangerous to use and causing much confusion.[1][2][3] Additionally, the flag's resemblance to the Union flag became a liability as the Confederates wanted to show their independence.[2] Confederate commanders using their own flags on the battlefield in response,[2] and the flag ceased being official in May of 1863.[1]
On May 1, 1863,[2] the second official flag of the C.S.A. was adopted.[1] It was a white flag with Robert E. Lee's Southern Cross on the upper-left corner.[1] Due to the white background, the flag was often mistaken for a flag of surrender.[1] It remained in use until March of 1865.[1]
On March 4, 1865, the third official flag of the C.S.A. was adopted.[1] It had the same design as the second flag except for a red stripe running down the fly end of the flag.[1] It remained the official flag until the end of the Confederacy later that year.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Confederate Stars and Bars. usflag.org. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Coski, John M. (July 9, 2015). Embattled Banner: The true history of the Confederate flag. historynet.com. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
- ↑ Confederate Flag. sonofthesouth.net. Retrieved December 30, 2016.