Mrs. Neil
12th Grade Literature
The Historical Identity of the Confederate Flag There were three main designs that served as the national "flag of the Confederate States of America" from 1861 to 1865. Since the end of the American Civil War, private and official use of the Confederacy's flags, and of flags with inspired designs, has continued under philosophical, political, cultural, and racial controversy in the United States. They are cause for much controversy in recent times due to their re-emergence in state flags during civil rights movement of the 1960’s as a symbol of racism and state defiance. These flags are displayed in states, cities, schools, colleges, private companies and by individuals and are considered by …show more content…
flag, especially when it was hanging limp, down on the flagstaff. The "Stars and Bars" was also criticized on ideological grounds for its resemblance to the U.S. flag, which many Confederates disliked, seeing it as symbolizing centralized federal power over states' rights, increased taxation, and abolitionism and emancipation, all of which which the government of the Confederacy were staunchly against. As early as April 1861, a month after the flag's adoption, some were already criticizing the flag, calling it a "imitation" and a " parody" of the U.S. flag. In January 1862, George William Bagby, from a southern newspaper called the Southern Literary Messenger, wrote that many Confederates disliked the flag stating "Everybody wants a new Confederate flag," and "The present one is universally hated. It resembles the Yankee flag and that is enough to make it unutterably …show more content…
Lee, battle flag was square and varied its size for different branches of service: square for the infantry, for the artillery, and for the cavalry. It was first used in battle beginning in December 1861 and was used until the fall of the Confederacy. The blue color on the the battle flag was navy blue, as unlike the much lighter blue of the Naval Jack. The flag's stars represented the number of states in the Confederacy like the U.S flag. The distance between the stars shrank as the number of states grew, reaching a grand total of thirteen when Kentucky and Missouri joined the Confederacy in late