The winner of the competition was Nicola Marschall's "Stars and Bars" flag. It was flown forward aboard all Confederate warships while they were anchored in port. 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. 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. Confederate monuments soondotted the South, and the battle flag was added to the state flag of Mississippi. Our Stars and Bars flags are made from 100% Dupont Solar-Max nylon material or 100% cotton. J. Hardee. The Dixiecrats adoption of the Confederate battle flag as a party symbol led to a surge in the banners popularity, and a flag fad spread from college campuses to Korean War battlefields and beyond. As the crowd of President Trumps supporters rioted, many hoisted the symbol of a short-lived splinter nation that tore the Union apart. The final version of the second national flag, adopted May 1, 1863, did just this: it set the St. Andrew's Cross of stars in the Union Jack with the rest of the civilian banner entirely white. It was distinct from the Unions flag. The first official flag of the Confederacy, called the " Stars and Bars ," was flown from March 5, 1861, to May 26, 1863. The union blue extending down through the white space and stopping at the lower red space. (Physical symbols of white supremacy are coming down. "Southern Confederacy" (Atlanta, Georgia), 5 Feb 1865, pg 2. Amid the smoke and general chaos of battle, it was hard to distinguish the Confederate national flag, the "Stars and Bars," from the U. S. national flag, the "Stars and Stripes." Confederate Congressman William Porcher Miles suggested that the army have a . [3] In January 1862, George William Bagby, writing for the Southern Literary Messenger, wrote that many Confederates disliked the flag. This caused major problems at the July 1861 Battle of First Manassas and during other skirmishes as some troops mistakenly fired on their own comrades. CONFEDERATE 1ST NATIONAL UNIT FLAGS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. For many on the receiving end of hundreds of years of racism, the Confederate battle flag embodies everything from hatred to personal intimidationa far cry from the sanitized Lost Cause narrative that helped fuel its rise. 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. 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. But as secession got underway, the Confederate States of America adopted a flag that riffed off the Unions stars and stripes. It existed in a variety of dimensions and sizes, despite the CSN's detailed naval regulations. According to Museum of the Confederacy Director John Coski, Miles' design was inspired by one of the many "secessionist flags" flown at the South Carolina secession convention in Charleston of December 1860. Gen. Earl Van Dorn adapted a red banner with stars and crescent moon as the battle flag for his command. By 1863, it had become well-known and popular among those living in the Confederacy. Flags of the Confederate States of America - Wikipedia Find the perfect The stars and bars flag stock video clips. The flags that were actually produced by the Richmond Clothing Depot used the 1.5:1 ratio adopted for the Confederate navy's battle ensign, rather than the official 2:1 ratio. Share. This new flag spread quickly in use across the South, even beyond the borders of the seven States of the CSA. The Confederacy's first official national flag, often called the Stars and Bars, flew from March 4, 1861, to May 1, 1863. The flag was issued in the fall of 1861. [50][51][52] It is also known as the rebel flag, Dixie flag, and Southern cross. The general consensus is that it was designed by Prussian-American artist Nicola Marschall.The design consists of a red-white-red triband (possibly inspired by the Austrian flag, with which Marcschall would . The First Official Flag of the Confederacy. The first national flag of the Confederate States of America (the 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.. 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). Neither state voted to secede or ever came under full Confederate control. Contributions can be made to the Memorial Hall Foundation by sending a check, using a credit card or by contributing through the website. 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 committee asked the public to submit thoughts and ideas on the topic and was, as historian John M. Coski puts it, "overwhelmed by requests not to abandon the 'old flag' of the United States." This pattern was embellished with the same 13 white stars that the original flag had. Many different designs were proposed during the solicitation for a second Confederate national flag, nearly all based on the Battle Flag. The Atlantic. According to one account, these flags were later turned in so that their bunting could be recycled into other flags. 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. Then, as Confederate veterans began to die in the early 20th century, groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy pushed to commemorate themand make their version of history the official doctrine of Southern states. Flags Collection - Confederate Museum The ANV was never the official flag of the Confederacy and was not called The Stars and Bars. The Congress inspected two other finalist designs on March 4: One was a "Blue ring or circle on a field of red", while the other consisted of alternating red and blue stripes with a blue canton containing stars. How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? 2nd National Confederate Flag 2nd National Confederate Flag - Cotton 12 x 18 inch The identification stuck, and the flags use proliferated. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? Note, this is not to be confused with the Confederate Battle Flag. Their cantons bore eleven white, 5-pointed stars arranged in a circle. Symbolism and Meaning of the Confederate Flag - Symbol Sage 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. When rebels fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861, theyflew a blue banner with a single white star called the Bonnie Blue Flag. [18] He turned to his aide, who happened to be William Porcher Miles, the former chairman of the Confederate Congress's Committee on the Flag and Seal. Confederate Flags | Missouri State Parks He described these changes and his reasons for making them in early 1861. LEE. Stars and Bars From March of 1861, through April of 1863, during America's Civil War, the Stars and Bars was the official flag of the Confederacy. When does spring start? View. A mans world? Four camp colors or flank markers accompanied each of these national colors. Adult Admission: Adult $10.00 Children (under the age of 14) $5:00. In the early months of the War, the Confederate War Department relied exclusively on the patriotic effusion of the ladies of the South for the unit colors of the units that assembled in Richmond during the Spring and Summer of 1861. Why on some Southern Cross Battle Flags is the center or thirteenth star omitted? 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. The 7 Best Bars Around La Brea, Los Angeles - Culture Trip Can we bring a species back from the brink? First National Pattern Confederate Flag - Rockingham Community College Unit abbreviations on two of the surviving flags were applied with separately cut and applied red cotton letters. 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. 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. This would serve to show the world the South was truly sovereign. flag of the Confederate States of America - Encyclopedia Britannica The "Van Dorn battle flag" was also carried by Confederate troops fighting in the Trans-Mississippi and Western theaters of war. 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. The design of the Stars and Bars varied . This action piqued the interest of other members of the Foundation, reenactment groups and family members. Add to Plan. Confederate battle flag: What it is and what it isn't | CNN The Bonnie Blue gained popularity throughout the South through the song THE BONNIE BLUE FLAG written by Harry McCarthy in 1861. So Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard decided that he needed to design a different national flag so that it would . This flag, made of Merino, was raised by Letitia Tyler over the Alabama state capitol. The 12th star represented Missouri. This is the First National Flag of the Confederacy, the Stars and Bars. This flag saw action in the battles in the west. Smith, Louisburg", University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "The Declarations of Causes of Seceding States", "Confederate battle flag: Separating the myths from facts", "Letter of Beauregard to Villere, April 24, 1863", "Birthplace of the Confederate Battle Flag", 37 New Historical Markers for Virginia's Roadways, "2008 Virginia Marker Dedication: Birthplace of the Confederate Battle Flag", North & South The Official Magazine of the Civil War Society, "Why the Confederate Flag Made a 20th Century Comeback", "Confederate flag removed: A history of the divisive symbol", "Trump keeps fighting a Confederate flag battle many supporters have conceded", "Majority Of Southerners Now View The Confederate Flag As A Racist Symbol, Poll Finds", "What the Confederate flag means in America today", "American Electorate Continues to Favor Leaving Confederate Relics in Place", "National Tracking Poll #2107045 / July 09-12, 2021 / Crosstabulation Results", Active autonomist and secessionist movements, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flags_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America&oldid=1142855463, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023, Articles with incomplete citations from July 2020, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles with style issues from July 2022, Pages using infobox flag with unknown parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015, Articles needing additional references from September 2021, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. He described the idea in a letter to his commanding General Joseph E. Johnston: I wrote to [Miles] that we should have 'two' flags a 'peace' or parade flag, and a 'war' flag to be used only on the field of battle but congress having adjourned no action will be taken on the matter How would it do us to address the War Dept. Our historical flags are unsurpassed in quality and authenticity. STARS AND BARS Images of the first Confederate national flag with more than 13 stars. The similarity between the stars and bars and the stars and strips caused many cases of mistaken identity during the first battle of Manassas or Bull Run in July of 1861. The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. 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). Confederate Flag History - Civil War It was flying above the Confederate batteries that first opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, in South Carolina beginning the Civil War. That flag was a blue St George's Cross (an upright or Latin cross) on a red field, with 15 white stars on the cross, representing the slave-holding states,[38][39] and, on the red field, palmetto and crescent symbols. Besides, many military units had their own regimental flags they would carry into battle. This bunting was placed in the hands of Richmond military goods dealer, George Ruskell. Photograph courtesy the Library of Congress, Photograph by Flip Schulke, CORBIS/Corbis/Getty, Photograph by Kris Graves, National Geographic. A Confederate battle flag distinct from the flag of the Confederacy, the "Stars and Bars," was created following the first major battle of the Civil War, at Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia, in July 1861, because in the heat of battle soldiers and commanders confused the Stars and Bars with the Union army's "Stars and Stripes." Our acid dye process saturates right through the flag producing deep and vivid colors that never crack or peel. Johnston also specified the various sizes to be used by different types of military units. Choose from a wide range of high quality 4K or HD videos and footage. They resemble too closely the dishonored 'Flag of Yankee Doodle' we imagine that the 'Battle Flag' will become the Southern Flag by popular acclaim." 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. Many restored flags are always on display. The Stars and Bars' resemblance to the U.S. flag, combined with similarities between the two sides' uniforms and the general confusion of battle, contributed to an incident at First Manassas in which Confederate forces fired on a Confederate infantry brigade commanded by Jubal A. The Stars and Bars Flag is the first official flag of the Confederacy. [citation needed]. Stars and Bars | NCpedia Beauregard and Joseph Johnston urged that a new Confederate flag be designed for battle. 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). Not according to biology or history. [11], Initial reaction to the second national flag was favorable, but over time it became criticized for being "too white." Pentagon tells service members to stop displaying giant US flags at Why do people still fly the Confederate flag? - BBC News NOTE: The 4"x6" size is mounted to a 10" staff with a spear top. Hundreds of designs were submitted and on May 4, 1861, the First National Flag was adopted (there would eventually be two others). Unauthorized use is prohibited. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. [37] Also, Confederate regiments carried many other flags, which added to the possibility of confusion. Today, alongside the nations growing acknowledgment of systemic racism and widespread Black Lives Matterprotests, the Confederate flag predictably makes appearances at white supremacist gatherings. Three horizontal stripes of equal height, alternating red and white, with a blue square two-thirds the height of the flag as the canton. However, Miles' flag was not well received by the rest of the Congress. James B. Walton submitted a battle flag design essentially identical to Miles' except with an upright Saint George's cross, but Beauregard chose the diagonal cross design.[41]. 1863-1865 version of Confederate Flag. President Jefferson Davis' inauguration took place under the 1861 state flag of Alabama, and the celebratory parade was led by a unit carrying the 1861 state flag of Georgia. But though it was extremely popular, this new battle flag which eventually became known as the Southern Crosswasnt adopted as the Confederacys official military or government symbol. 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. [42] The flag's stars represented the number of states in the Confederacy. Were most of the flags made in the Confederacy sewn by hand or by sewing machine? at Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1863. It resembles the Yankee flag, and that is enough to make it unutterably detestable." The Confederate War Department chose two similar sized flags for the forts that came under their control as a result of secession. Was there a cavalry size Army of Northern Virginia battle flag? Heres why each season begins twice. These two designs were lost, and we only know of them thanks to an 1872 letter sent by William Porcher Miles to P. G. T. Beauregard. Miles had already designed a flag that later became known as the Confederate Battle Flag, and he favored his flag over the "Stars and Bars" proposal. As many as eight more stars were later added to represent states admitted to or claimed by the Confederacy. The garrison flag was to measure 18 feet on the hoist by 28 feet on the fly, and the storm flag was to be half that size 9 feet on the hoist by 14 feet on the fly. Because of its similarity to the U.S. flag, the Stars and Bars was sometimes confused with the Stars and Stripes in the smoke of battle. 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. [ 1] The Stars and Bars flag was adopted March 4, 1861 in Montgomery, Alabama and raised over the dome of . The Confederate Congress specified that the new design be a white field "with the union (now used as the battle flag) to be a square of two-thirds the width of the flag, having the ground red; thereupon a broad saltire of blue, bordered with white, and emblazoned with mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding in number to that of the Confederate States. The "Stars and Bars" flag was only selected by the Congress of March 4, 1861, the day of the deadline. 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. Miles received various feedback on this design, including a critique from Charles Moise, a self-described "Southerner of Jewish persuasion." [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. In addition to the 112 1st national flags from states east of the Mississippi, a number of Confederate 1st national flags from the trans-Mississippi region have also been surveyed. A young . 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 Stars and Bars served as the first national flag of the Confederate States of America from 4 Mar. ), led to the assumption that it was, as it has been termed, "the soldier's flag" or "the Confederate battle flag. Only 13 flags, however, had been delivered to Major J.B. McClelland at Richmond by the battle of 1st Manassas (Bull Run), and none of these may have been distributed to the Army at Centreville before the battle.