Janney believes that this Lost Cause myth started as the Confederates were struggling to accept their defeat. They ultimately changed the narrative and denied their goal to uphold slavery. In the early 20th Century, some white Southerners started perpetuating the idea of a Southern state that fought the Civil War to protect the states’ rights and way of life. He felt that it was such a divisive symbol that made people remember the pain and agony that the Civil War had caused. Ironically enough, General Lee was not a huge fan of the Confederate flag. Thousands of Confederate armies remained defiant, but most white southerners believed that his army’s surrender had inevitably brought the Civil War to an end. General Lee’s army surrendered at the Appomattox Court House, where they were granted parole and allowed to return to their homes. He was known for leading soldiers who kidnapped free black men, sold them as slaves, and fought to keep slavery in place. ![]() Many armies of the Confederacy drew the Confederate’s flag during battles. The End of the Civil War Statue of Robert E. In fact, some hate groups continue to draw inspiration from the Confederate flag and use it to get their principles across. ![]() This is why many consider the Confederate flag racist and offensive. Many have contended that the white background represented the supremacy of the white race and the inferiority of the colored race. This was where the whole controversy started. Future designs of the Confederate banner incorporated this section on its left-hand corner, with the addition of a white background that signified purity. PD.Īlthough this version of the Confederate flag was extremely popular, it wasn’t considered the official government or military symbol of the Confederacy. This pattern was embellished with the same 13 white stars that the original flag had. Designed by William Porcher Miles, one of the congressmen of the Confederate, the new flag had a blue X-shaped pattern called St. To avoid further confusion, General Pierre Beauregard of the Confederacy commissioned a new flag. One infamous incident occurred when some troops mistakenly fired at their own men during the Battle of First Manassas in July 1861. This caused major problems because it was hard to tell the difference between the two during battles. While it had a distinctive design, it looked extremely similar to the Union’s flag when viewed from a distance. It featured 13 white stars against a blue background, with each star representing a Confederate state, and 3 stripes, 2 of which were red, and one white. This led to the introduction of their government stamps and the Confederate flag, which was then known as the Stars and Bars. It also became a symbol of secession as Southern troops continued to wave it on battlefields.Įventually, the Confederate States of America realized that they needed symbols that would represent their sovereignty. Popularly known as the Bonnie Blue Flag, this banner became a timeless reminder of the first battle that marked the start of the Civil War. When the Confederate rebels first opened fire on Fort Sumter in 1861, they flew a historic blue banner with a single brilliant white star. The Evolution of the Confederate’s Battle Flag This was eventually replaced by a permanent government in Virginia a year later, with President Jefferson Davis and Vice President Alexander H. In February 1861, they began the resistance by establishing a provisional government in Alabama. ![]() The withdrawal from the Union was due to the belief that Abraham Lincoln’s presidency threatened their way of life, which was highly dependent on the concept of slavery. Four states from the upper South joined them when the war began on April 12, 1861: Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. Originally, there were seven states: Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Confederate States of America, otherwise known as the Confederacy, was a government of 11 Southern states that withdrew from the Union during the American Civil War. Like many other symbols that have changed meaning over time (think the Swastika or the Odal Rune) the Confederate Flag also has undergone a transformation. In a nutshell, the Confederate Flag is viewed today as a symbol of slavery, racism and of white supremacy, although in the past it was predominantly a symbol of Southern heritage.
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