The Confederate States of America flags have a history of three successive designs during the country’s existence from 1861 to 1865. 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 collapse of the Confederation. The rejected national flag design was also used as a battle flag by the Confederate Army and was used in the Stainless Banner and Blood-Stained Banner. Although this design had never been a national flag, it is widely recognized as a symbol of the Confederacy.

After the end of the American Civil War, also known as the War between the States, the War of Northern Aggression, and many others, the private and official use of Confederate flags, especially the battle flag, continued amid philosophical, political, cultural, and racial controversies in the United States. These include flags displayed in states; cities, towns, and counties; schools, colleges, and universities; private organizations and associations; and individuals.

The Mississippi State Flag, used from 1894 to 2020, was the last U.S. state flag to display the Confederate Army battle flag in the flag canton or in the upper left corner. The state flag of Georgia is very similar to Stars and Bars; the previous design, including the Confederate battle flag, was used from 1956 to 2001. A similar flag design was used by Trenton, Georgia.

The Confederate’s first official national flag, often referred to as Stars and Bars, flew from March 4, 1861, to May 1, 1863. It was designed by Prussian-American artist Nicola Marshall in Marion, Alabama, and resembles the Austrian flag, with which Marshall would be familiar. The original version of the flag included a circle of seven white stars in the navy blue canton, representing the seven states in the south that originally made up the Confederation: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. The Stars and Bars flag was adopted on March 4, 1861, in Montgomery’s first provisional national capital, Alabama, and was flown over the dome of that first Confederate capital. Marshall also designed the uniform of the Confederate army.

The Louisburg, North Carolina monument claims that “Stars and Bars” were designed and directed by North Carolina’s son (Orren Randolph Smith) / Catherine Rebecca (Murphy) Winborne. / Forwarded to Montgomery, Ala. February 12, 1861, / Adopted by the Provisional Congress on March 4, 1861 “.

One of the first acts of the Provisional Congress of the Confederation was the establishment of the Flag and Seal, chaired by William Porcher Miles, a congressman, and Fire-Eater from South Carolina.

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