There were three bars on the flag, two red and one white, and thus the popular name "Stars and Bars." First Flag of the Confederate States of America, March 4, 1861 The seven stars represent the seven original states: South Carolina; Mississippi; Florida; Alabama; Georgia; Louisiana and Texas. One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. The Bonnie Blue Flag is on the right. The version produced even today for the Stars and Bars, or First National Confederate, features the original seven star pattern in the blue canton. Sign In . Although future official Confederate banners did incorporate its symbolism in the left-hand corner, they instead added a white field that represented purity. The First National Flag -- Stars and Bars May 4, 1861 - May 1, 1863 The Confederate States of America solicited designs for a national flag early in 1861. Despite the official pattern and numbers, however, individual examples of the Stars and Bars varied greatly, with numbers of stars ranging from 1 to 17, and star patterns varying greatly beyond the officially sanctioned circle. The thirteen stars stand for the thirteen states that were part of the Confederacy. But it didnt look like that from a distanceand in the thick of battle, it was hard to tell the two apart. The flag was issued in the fall of 1861. The "Stars and Bars" flag was only selected by the Congress of March 4, 1861, the day of the deadline. "[11], The flag is also known as the Stainless Banner, and the matter of the person behind its design remains a point of contention. This bunting was placed in the hands of Richmond military goods dealer, George Ruskell. Introduction: National Flags of the Confederacy . The very first national flag of the Confederacy was designed by Prussian artist Nicola Marschall in Marion, Alabama. Confederate Memorial Hall is a museum located in New Orleans, Louisiana containing historical artifacts related to the Confederate States of America and the American Civil War. [58] A July 2021 Politico-Morning Consult poll of 1,996 registered voters reported that 47% viewed it as a symbol of Southern pride while 36% viewed it as a symbol of racism. When rebels fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861, they flew a blue banner with a single white star called the Bonnie Blue Flag. A mans world? The Republic was short lived and soon dissolved. p. 211. [14][15] The original version of the flag featured a circle of seven white stars in the navy-blue canton, representing the seven states of the South that originally composed the Confederacy: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Although the officially designated design specified a rectangular canton, many of the flags that ended up being produced utilized a square-shaped canton. Copy link. While others were wildly different, many of which were very complex and extravagant, these were largely discounted due to the being too complicated and expensive to produce. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The roughly 5,000-year-old human remains were found in graves from the Yamnaya culture, and the discovery may partially explain their rapid expansion throughout Europe. The flag had become big businessand led a double life both as a nostalgic symbol and a deeply evocative banner of racism. Adopted by the provisional Confederate Congress in February of 1861, this was the first of three national Confederate flags. The Bonnie Blue gained popularity throughout the South through the song THE BONNIE BLUE FLAG written by Harry McCarthy in 1861. The groundbreaking promise of cellular housekeeping. The third national flag of the Confederate States of America. One seven-star jack still exists today (found aboard the captured ironclad CSS Atlanta) that is actually "dark blue" in color (see illustration below, left). The Flag Act of 1865, passed by the Confederate congress near the very end of the War, describes the flag in the following language: The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the flag of the Confederate States shall be as follows: The width two-thirds of its length, with the union (now used as the battle flag) to be in width three-fifths of the width of the flag, and so proportioned as to leave the length of the field on the side of the union twice the width of the field below it; to have the ground red and a broad blue saltire thereon, bordered with white and emblazoned with mullets or five pointed stars, corresponding in number to that of the Confederate States; the field to be white, except the outer half from the union to be a red bar extending the width of the flag. Heritage or no, the Confederate flag retains its associations with centuries of racial injustice. The Confederate War Department chose two similar sized flags for the forts that came under their control as a result of secession. These flags show a high preponderance of flags with thirteen and fifteen stars, with most arranged in a circle around a center star, either of the same size or larger than the balance of the stars. After the war, this design was adopted as the official flag of the United Confederate Veterans and today most people refer to as The Confederate Flag. The First Official Flag of the Confederacy. A lithograph from 1897 displays four prominent designs of the Confederate flag and states that the images "help in keeping within us recollections of those who gave their lives to the 'Lost Cause,' and to perpetuate the memories and traditions of the South.". But how did the battle flag, also known as the Southern Cross, come to represent the Confederacy in the first place? It was not unusual to visit a Civil War reenactment and see the groups selling bowls of beans for $3.00 with the proceeds going toward the flag conservation program. They objected to the Democratic Partys adoption of a pro-civil rights platform and were dismayed when hundreds of thousands of Black Americans registered to vote in Democratic primaries after the Supreme Court declared all-white primaries unconstitutional. In 1956, prompted by the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Educationruling that declared segregation unconstitutional, Georgiaadopted a state flag that prominently incorporated the symbol. The diagonal cross was preferable, he wrote, because "it avoided the religious objection about the cross (from the Jews and many Protestant sects), because it did not stand out so conspicuously as if the cross had been placed upright thus." The "Stars and Bars" was unpopular among Confederates for its resemblance to the United States flag, which caused . [30] When Thompson received word the Congress had adopted the design with a blue stripe, he published an editorial on April 28 in opposition, writing that "the blue bar running up the center of the white field and joining with the right lower arm of the blue cross, is in bad taste, and utterly destructive of the symmetry and harmony of the design. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. What changed?). March 4, 1861 The first national flag of the Confederate States of America (the "Stars and Bars") is adopted. PD. Isnt a battle flag supposed to be square? . It was designed by Prussian-American artist Nicola Marschall in Marion, Alabama, and is said to resemble the Flag of Austria, with which Marschall would have been familiar. A white rectangle two times as wide as it is tall, a red quadrilateral in the canton, inside the canton is a blue saltire with white outlining, with thirteen white five-pointed stars of equal size inside the saltire. Judging from the $12.00 price that Ruskell later received for a bunting Confederate 1st national that was 6 feet long on the fly, it is thought that the 43 flags that he delivered in July and August were 4 feet on their hoist by 6 feet on their fly with eleven white, 5-pointed stars arranged in a circle or ellipse. The ensign of the Confederate States Revenue Service, designed by Dr. H. P. Capers of South Carolina on April 10, 1861. Miles' flag and all the flag designs up to that point were rectangular ("oblong") in shape. If Miles had not been eager to conciliate the Southern Jews, his flag would have used the traditional upright "Saint George's Cross" (as used on the flag of England, a red cross on a white field). [37] Also, Confederate regiments carried many other flags, which added to the possibility of confusion. Hundreds of proposed national flag designs were submitted to the Confederate Congress during competitions to find a First National flag (FebruaryMay 1861) and Second National flag (April 1862; April 1863). were conserved soon after. "[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29], The Confederate Congress debated whether the white field should have a blue stripe and whether it should be bordered in red. The union blue extending down through the white space and stopping at the lower red space. Many of the proposed designs paid homage to the Stars and Stripes, due to a nostalgia in early 1861 that many of the new Confederate citizens felt towards the Union. This new flag spread quickly in use across the South, even beyond the borders of the seven States of the CSA. Even though the national flag changed in 1863, this flag saw continued use until 1865. Offline . This design has become commonly regarded as a symbol of racism and white supremacy or white nationalism, especially in the Southern United States. ), led to the assumption that it was, as it has been termed, "the soldier's flag" or "the Confederate battle flag. A white rectangle, one-and-a-half times as wide as it is tall, a red vertical stripe on the far right of the rectangle, a red quadrilateral in the canton, inside the canton is a blue saltire with white outlining, with thirteen white five-pointed stars of equal size inside the saltire. In a Feb. 10 memo to its public affairs offices, the Defense Department said that having service members carry the U.S. flag horizontally or land it on the ground after a parachute jump is no . The name derived from the blue canton with a circle of white stars and the three red, white, and red bars in the flag's field. The identification stuck, and the flags use proliferated. Deliveries began on 18 July 1861 and continued until 7 August. Over the course of the flag's use by the CSA, additional stars were added to the canton, eventually bringing the total number to thirteen-a reflection of the Confederacy's claims of having admitted the border states of Kentucky and Missouri, where slavery was still widely practiced. Congressional, Richmond, 4 Feb: A bill to establish the flag of the Confederate States was adopted without opposition, and the flag was displayed in the Capitol today. Available for both RF and RM licensing. On 4 March 1861 the Confederate States of America adopted its first national flag, the "Stars and Bars", and raised it over the dome of the temporary capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.. The Confederacy's first official national flag, often called the Stars and Bars, flew from March 4, 1861, to May 1, 1863. Our historical flags are unsurpassed in quality and authenticity. Since the end of the Civil War, private and official use of the Confederate flags, particularly the battle flag, has continued amid philosophical, political, cultural, and racial controversy in the United States. The largely residential area and its neighbors still have excellent bars to choose from that cater to different scene preferences. The first national flag of the Confederacy with thirteen stars was used until May 1, 1863. Perry was a former colonel in the Confederate army during the war, and he presumably based the design on the First National Flag of the Confederacy, commonly known as the Stars and Bars. (Miles had originally planned to use a blue St. George's Cross like that of the South Carolina Sovereignty Flag, but was dissuaded from doing so.) The chairman was William Porcher Miles, who was also the Representative of South Carolina in the Confederate House of Representatives. READ MORE BRIDESMAIDS Rejected Proposals for the Confederate Flag, Failed Contestants for the First Confederate Flag (February-March 1861), Proposals that Modified the flag of the United States, FINAL EDITION The Third Confederate National Flag, Photos and Images of Third Confederate National Flags, STAINLESS BANNER The Second Confederate National Flag, Photos and Images of Second Confederate National Flags, STARS AND BARS The First Confederate National Flag. This flag was known as the 'Stars and Bars', though ironically the Stars and Bars have a completely different design as compared, to the rectangular Confederate flag. -"Letter from Richmond" by the Richmond correspondent of the, Journal of the Confederate Congress, Volume 6, p.477, John D. Wright, The Language of the Civil War, p.284, Healy, Donald T.; Orenski, Peter J. Although the creating legislation for the national flag adopted by the Confederate Provisional Congress on 4 March 1861 did not specify the proportions that the new national flag was to follow, the Confederate War Department shortly afterward determined on the sizes for the military garrison and storm flags. As word spread about the conservation program the flag of the 10th Louisiana Infantry was adopted by a Canadian Reenacting Group that portrayed the unit. These authentic cotton flags are hard to find and may disappear at some point. Many Confederates disliked the Stars and Bars, seeing it as symbolic of a centralized federal power against which the Confederate states claimed to be seceding. [13] The Columbia-based Daily South Carolinian observed that it was essentially a battle flag upon a flag of truce and might send a mixed message. However, when the war started, the Stars and Bars confused the battlefield. Some of the homages were outright mimicry, while others were less obviously inspired by the Stars and Stripes, yet were still intended to pay homage to that flag. Even a few fourteen- and fifteen-starred ensigns were made to include states expected to secede but never completely joined the Confederacy. [11], Initial reaction to the second national flag was favorable, but over time it became criticized for being "too white." It was also challenged by Black activists and their white allies. Flag officially used: September 1860 Summer, 1861, George P. Gilliss flag, also known as the Biderman Flag, the only Confederate flag captured in California (Sacramento). The original flag of the Confederate States of America, commonly known as the STARS AND BARS, was approved by the Congress of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States, and first hoisted over the capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama, on the afternoon of the 4th day of March, 1861. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and the "Blood-Stained Banner", used in 1865 shortly before the Confederacy's dissolution. This particular battle ensign was the only example taken around the world, finally becoming the last Confederate flag lowered in the Civil War; this happened aboard the commerce raider CSS Shenandoah in Liverpool, England, on November 7, 1865. In 2015, the flag came roaring back into the national consciousness when a white supremacist killed nine churchgoers at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. It was flown forward aboard all Confederate warships while they were anchored in port. For use of Confederate symbols in modern society and popular culture, see, Flags of the Confederate States of America. Scientists just confirmed a 30-foot void first detected inside the monument years ago. [31] Gray stated that the white field represented "purity, truth, and freedom. More than double that number (12), however, bore eleven stars, with all but two arranged in a circle that included all eleven stars. Known as the Stars and Bars, the flag featured a white star for each Confederate state on a blue background, and three stripes, two red and one white. The official version was to have the stars in a circle, with the number corresponding to the States actually admitted to the Confederacy. Denounced as a hate symbol, the Confederate flag remains popular among white supremacists and Southerners who claim it as their heritage. [ 1] The Stars and Bars flag was adopted March 4, 1861 in Montgomery, Alabama and raised over the dome of . [19] As early as April 1861, a month after the flag's adoption, some were already criticizing the flag, calling it a "servile imitation" and a "detested parody" of the U.S. Consequently, considerable . The Adopt-A-Flag Program was initiated. Many individual companies received splendid flags from the communities from which they were raised, but the regiments into which they were assembled did not necessarily share in this enthusiasm. The blue flag with the circle of white told the Yankees that they facing the troops of Gen. Wm. Marschall also designed the Confederate army uniform. national flag consisting of seven white stars on a blue canton with a field of three alternating stripes, two red and one white. What if we could clean them out? "A surviving Georgia flag in the collection of the, Bonner, Robert E., "Flag Culture and the Consolidation of Confederate Nationalism. Adult Admission: Adult $10.00 Children (under the age of 14) $5:00. Gen. Earl Van Dorn adapted a red banner with stars and crescent moon as the battle flag for his command. The first national flag of the Confederate States of America was created in 1861 and had seven stars to represent the breakaway states of South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama,. The winner of the competition was Nicola Marschall's "Stars and Bars" flag. Newsome was arrested, but state officials voted to remove the flag from the building the following month. It was flying above the Confederate batteries that first opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, in South Carolina beginning the Civil War. The 12th star represented Missouri. General Johnston suggested making it square to conserve material. First flag with 7 stars(March 4 May 18, 1861), Flag with 11 stars(July 2 November 28, 1861), Last flag with 13 stars(November 28, 1861 May 1, 1863), The Confederacy's first official national flag, often called the Stars and Bars, flew from March 4, 1861, to May 1, 1863. The first official flag of the Confederacy, called the " Stars and Bars ," was flown from March 5, 1861, to May 26, 1863. Most contemporary interpretations of the white area on the flag hold that it represented the purity of the secessionist cause. The "Sibley Flag", Battle Flag of the Army of New Mexico, commanded by General Henry Hopkins Sibley. Miles also told the Committee on the Flag and Seal about the general's complaints and request that the national flag be changed. So Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard decided that he needed to design a different national flag so that it would . The results were mixed. Also available below is a Vinyl Decal (suitable for outdoor use). The "Van Dorn battle flag" was also carried by Confederate troops fighting in the Trans-Mississippi and Western theaters of war. Thompson stated in April 1863 that he disliked the adopted flag "on account of its resemblance to that of the abolition despotism against which we are fighting."[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Contributions can be made to the Memorial Hall Foundation by sending a check, using a credit card or by contributing through the website. [43], The Army of Northern Virginia battle flag assumed a prominent place post-war when it was adopted as the copyrighted emblem of the United Confederate Veterans. Blue Collar. Reviews on Bars With Darts in Brea, CA - Shady Nook, Squire's, The Blue Door Bar, Juke Joint Bar, The Bruery, A&C Billiards and Barstools, Brian's Original Sports Bar, Group Therapy Pub, Shotz Bar & Kitchen, Bigs "[40], According to Coski, the Saint Andrew's Cross (also used on the flag of Scotland as a white saltire on a blue field) had no special place in Southern iconography at the time. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. Four camp colors or flank markers accompanied each of these national colors. STARS AND BARS Images of 12 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. The flag was adopted by the permanent congress on May 1, 1863. Long COVID patients turn to unproven treatments, Why evenings can be harder on people with dementia, This disease often goes under-diagnosedunless youre white, This sacred site could be Georgias first national park, See glow-in-the-dark mushrooms in Brazils other rainforest, 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. The "Stars and Bars" caused much confusion on the battlefield because of its similarity to the United States flag, the "Stars and Stripes." The Confederate Army never had an official battle flag. Historian Gaines M. Foster for Zcalo Public Square writes that its use was regional and tied to the memory of the war. (Toppling statues is a first step toward ending Confederate myths.). [15], A monument in Louisburg, North Carolina, claims the "Stars and Bars" "was designed by a son of North Carolina / Orren Randolph Smith / and made under his direction by / Catherine Rebecca (Murphy) Winborne. STARS AND BARS Images of 11 Star versions of the first Confederate national flag. This is the actual Stars & Bars, first official flag of the Confederate States of America, specifically the 13-star version which flew from 1861 to 1863: Confederate Stars & Bars ( public domain) As might be expected for unit flags from the eleventh Confederate state, eight of the unit flags from this region bore eleven stars, all but one in a pure circle of eleven stars. Kentucky), and even from Union states (such as New York). "Everybody wants a new Confederate flag," Bagby wrote. Designed by William Porcher Miles, one of the congressmen of the Confederate, the new flag had a blue X-shaped pattern called St. Andrew's Cross against a red background. [16], One of the first acts of the Provisional Confederate Congress was to create the Committee on the Flag and Seal, chaired by William Porcher Miles, a Democratic congressman, and Fire-Eater from South Carolina. The flag adopted by the delegates to the Louisianas secession convention in January of 1861 represented Louisianas historical roots. Miles' flag lost out to the "Stars and Bars". Why are there 13 stars on Confederate flags? Thus, there would have been 7 stars from 4 March 1861 until 7 May 1861, when Virginia became the 8th Confederate State by Act of Congress. Since it is known that Hayden & Whilden from Charleston provided eleven star unit flags for the Confederate Quartermasters Department, the number of eleven star flags made in this region undoubtedly was even larger. Efforts to memorialize the Confederate dead also began as soon as the war ended, but they ballooned as white Southerners reclaimed their power after Reconstruction. How Long After the Battle of First Manassas did the various battle flags replace the Stars and Bars or did they ever entirely replace it? Men fly a massive Confederate flag during a Black Lives Matter protest in Charleston, South Carolina, in August, 2020. Activist and filmmaker Brittany "Bree" Newsome climbed a 30-foot pole outside of the South Carolina state capitol to remove the Confederate flag weeks after a shooting at a predominantly Black Charleston church in 2015. Many soldiers wrote home about the ceremony and the impression the flag had upon them, the "fighting colors" boosting morale after the confusion at the Battle of First Manassas. Variant of the first national flag with 13 stars, The second national flag of the Confederate States of America. Ships chandlers, Henry Vaughan in Mobile, Alabama and Hugh Vincent in Charleston, South Carolina, accepted orders to manufacture Confederate 1st national flags of these sizes. The Confederate States of America used three national flags during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, known as the "Stars and Bars" (1861-1863), the "Stainless Banner" (1863-65), and the "Blood-Stained Banner" (1865). The first flag was raised over the capitol in Montgomery by Miss Letitia Christian Tyler, the granddaughter of President John Tyler. [note 4][20] The first showing of the 13-star flag was outside the Ben Johnson House in Bardstown, Kentucky; the 13-star design was also in use as the Confederate navy's battle ensign[citation needed]. Miles described his rejected national flag design to Beauregard. Neither state voted to secede or ever came under full Confederate control. Generals Beauregard and Johnston and Quartermaster General Cabell approved the 12-star Confederate Battle Flag's design at the Ratcliffe home, which served briefly as Beauregard's headquarters, near Fairfax Court House in September 1861. It was generally made with a 2:3 aspect ratio, but a few very wide 1:2 ratio ensigns still survive today in museums and private collections. LEE. E arly in the war, most regiments carried the Confederate First National flag (the "Stars and Bars") or their state's flag since the Confederacy did not have an official battle flag. Van Dorn was relieved of command after the Battle of Corinth in 1862. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars&qu. All rights reserved. A crowd of white teenagers protest school integration in Montogmery, Alabama, in 1963. Note, this is not to be confused with the Confederate Battle Flag. William Porcher Miles, however, was not really happy with any of the proposals. But though the flag had been adopted by advocates of segregation and white supremacy, many denied that aspect of its meaning and instead insisted it stood for the Southern ideals espoused by the Lost Cause.