Photos: Current flags of former Confederate states

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The Confederate Battle Flag is very familiar to Southerners. During the Civil War, the square design was used by Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and was so popular its design was incorporated in the official flag of the Confederacy. The original design called for the flag to be rectangular, but it was changed to a square to conserve material. The Confederate battle flag still flies next to a Civil War monument on the grounds of the South Carolina Capitol, but many leaders say it is time to take it down. Following images show other flags used by the Confederate States of American during the Civil War and the current state flags of states that officially seceded from the U.S.

The first national flag of the Confederate States of America, aka "The Stars and Bars" -- was adopted March 4, 1861 and does not feature the Confederate battle flag. It was designed by German/Prussian artist Nicola Marschall in Marion, Alabama, and resembles the Flag of the Austrian Empire. The flag originally had seven stars, one for each state in the Confederacy at the time, but eventually had 9, 11 and 13 stars. Only 11 states formally seceded from the U.S., but stars also represent the slave states Kentucky and Missouri.

The second national flag of the Confederate States of America -- the "Stainless Banner" -- was adopted in 1863. It features the square battle flag on an all-white field. It was designed in part by William T. Thompson, a newspaper editor based in Savannah, Georgia, who said the white field represented the "superiority of the white man." This flag came about because Southern leaders thought the original "Stars and Bars" too closely resembled the U.S. flag. In fact, during battle, soldiers often confused them when the wind wasn't blowing enough to reveal the full flag.

The third national flag of the Confederate States of America -- known as the "Blood-Stained banner" -- was adopted in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. The battle flag is seen in the upper left corner, but is now rectangular instead of square, and a red stripe has been added to the white field. The stripe was added because Southern leaders thought the largely white flag might be mistaken as a flag of surrender. The South did surrender less than a month after the flag was adopted, and very few of these flags were ever produced.

The current flag of South Carolina became official in 1861 and shows a white palmetto tree and crescent on a blue field. The flag, despite becoming official shortly after South Carolina became the first state to secede from the U.S. on Dec. 20, 1860, has nothing that links it to traditional symbols of the Confederacy. Historians are not sure what the crescent represents, but most people today think it is the moon. The cabbage palmetto is the state tree of South Carolina. During the Revolutionary War it is said British cannonballs merely bounced off forts made of the palm's tough, springy wood.

The state flag of Mississippi is the only current state flag that incorporates the Confederate battle flag. It was adopted in 2001. The state's flag during the Civil War did not incorporate the battle flag. The state was the second to secede from the U.S. (on Jan. 9, 1861).

The flag of Florida -- like that of Alabama -- prominently features a St. Andrew's Cross, and is linked to the Spanish Cross of Burgundy, which was used by the Spanish empire when colonizing North America. Florida's flag was adopted in 1900, with a slight modification in 1985. As part of the Confederacy, Florida used all three versions of the Confederate flag and the Bonnie Blue Flag (a single white star on a blue background), which was briefly used as an unofficial flag of the Confederacy.

The state flag of Alabama became official in 1895 and features a cross of St. Andrew similar to that used on many other flags including the Confederate battle flag. Southern Alabama was once a Spanish colony, and the state flag is very similar to that of Florida's, which is designed to look like the Spanish Cross of Burgundy.

The flag of Georgia very closely resembles the original flag of the Confederacy -- the Stars and Bars -- and became official in 2003. The Georgia flag that flew from 1956-2001 prominently featured the Confederate battle flag alongside the state seal.

The state flag of Louisiana -- adopted in 2010 but very similar to one used since 1861 -- features a pelican and has nothing to do with the Civil War. During the Civil War, Louisiana's official flag featured thirteen red, white and blue stripes and a gold star on a red background, but a pelican flag much like the one seen today was also in use.

The flag of Texas features the famed "Lone Star." Earlier, it served as the final national flag of the Republic of Texas, and when Texas joined the U.S. in 1845 it served as the state flag but did not become official until 1933. During the Civil War, Texas used the flag of the Confederacy as its state flag. The Bonnie Blue Flag, unofficially used by the CSA, featured a single white star on a blue background similar to the "Lone Star."

The state flag of Virginia became official in 1950 and has nothing linking it to the Confederate States of America. Virginia seceded from the U.S. April 17, 1861 but had a very similar flag at the time. The flag and state seal of Virginia are strongly influenced by early leaders' admiration for the Roman republic.

The state flag of Arkansas, adopted in 1924, features a diamond because, at the time, it was the only state in the union with a diamond mine. The single blue star above the state name is meant to represent the Confederate States of America.

The flag of Tennessee was adopted in 1905 and has no links to the Civil War, other than using similar colors. The blue bar may remind some of the "Blood-Stained Banner" design used by the CSA, but the designer says it "relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when hanging limp."

The flag of North Carolina -- adopted in 1885 -- looks similar to the flag flown during the Confederacy. Curiously, the current flag was introduced to the state Legislature by a former Confederate soldier. The current flag features dates linking North Carolina to the American independence movement. The flag used during the Civil War featured a date linking the state to the secessionist movement.

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The Confederate Battle Flag is very familiar to Southerners. During the Civil War, the square design was used by Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and was so popular its design was incorporated in the official flag of the Confederacy. The original design called for the flag to be rectangular, but it was changed to a square to conserve material. The Confederate battle flag still flies next to a Civil War monument on the grounds of the South Carolina Capitol, but many leaders say it is time to take it down. Following images show other flags used by the Confederate States of American during the Civil War and the current state flags of states that officially seceded from the U.S.

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