12 Amazing Confederate Flag Facts: From Stars and Stripes to the Rebel Flag

Q: How many stars did the US flag have at the start of the Civil War in 1861?

A: It had 33 stars representing the 33 states.

Q: After the election of Abraham Lincoln, seven states seceded from the Union. Which were?

A: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.

Q: When these 7 states seceded from the Union, were the stars for these 7 states removed from the US flag?

A: No, President Lincoln refused to remove the stars representing the states that seceded from the Union.

Q: What new organization did these 7 separate states create?

A: Representatives from these seven states quickly formed a political organization called the Confederate States of America.

Q: What was the first official flag of the Confederacy?

A: The First National Flag, also called the ‘Stars and Stripes’ Flag, was chosen as the official flag and flew from March 1861 to May 1863 with 7 stars representing the 7 separate states.

Q: Were there additional states that seceded from the Union?

A: Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina broke away to form a total Confederation of 11 states.

Q: Who did the Confederate States of America choose as their leader?

A: On February 8, 1861, the Confederate States of America adopted a constitution and within ten days elected Jefferson Davis as president. Montgomery, Alabama, became the capital.

Q: Why was the Stars and Stripes Flag replaced by the Second National Confederation in May 1863?

A: The Stars and Stripes flag caused confusion on the battlefield because it was so similar to the Union Stars and Stripes flag.

Q: Why does the 2nd National (also called the ‘Stainless Steel Flag’) show 13 stars if there were only 11 states that seceded from the Union?

A: The Confederate State of America chose to include Kentucky and Missouri as stars on this flag, as they were slave states and had divided legislatures, both the Confederacy and the Union.

Q: Why was the second National Confederation flag replaced by the third National Confederation flag in March 1865? (see link below for image of this flag)

A: The second flag of the National Confederation was sometimes mistaken for a flag of truce when there was no wind and only white could be seen. Added a red vertical stripe so you don’t get confused
with a flag of truce.

Q: When and where did the Navy Jack flag fly?

A: The Navy Jack, also known as the ‘Rebel Flag’ or ‘Southern Cross’, flew on Confederate ships from 1863 to 1865 and was square in shape compared to today’s popular rectangular flag.

Q: At the end of the Civil War in 1865, how had the US flag changed?
A: It had 35 stars. One star was added for Kansas and one star for West Virginia after it was separated from Virginia.