Adoption of the Confederate Flag 150 years later

Original Confederate Flag

It may come as a surprise to many Americans what the original Confederate Federate Flag looked like. Well, here it is. It was adopted while the Capitol of the Confederacy was at Montgomery, Alabama.

The seven stars represent states that formed the Confederacy before the Lincoln Administration and bombing of Ft. Sumter in South Carolina. After the battle of Ft. Sumter four more states would leave the Union: Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. A little later Missouri and Kentucky formed rump pro-southern Governments. This resulted in a thirteen stared Confederate Flag.

There is something of a controversy as to who designed the first Confederate Flag. The new Southern government received thousands of proposals from the general population, many proposals conserved the stars and stripes pattern. No doubt anyone who submitted a flag and saw that it coincidentally matched their own design, would think they were responsible for it.

But in the end, a Southern Congressional Committee takes ultimate responsibility for the first design of the Confederate Flag.

Current Georgia State Flag
since 2003

Currently the Georgia State Flag utilizes the Confederate Flag as its main device but with the state seal in the center of the stars. The first design of the Confederate Flag is not as decisive than later versions or the Confederate Battle Flag. Rather it represents history more than a biased personal point of view.

Thus 150 years later since the adoption of the Confederate Flag from a certain point of view - it officially flies with a peaceful grace and as a symbol of history. Ironically this is due in part to the heritage vs racism flag debate.