what basically does the confederate flag stand for?

Question

I really don't know except it served during the civil war

its in nascar because it was brought up by a news article w/nascar i'm trying to get a understanding

Answer 1

The confederate flag or the "rebel flag" "the navy jack"

The Confederate Navy Jack, also called "The Southern Cross," is a rectangular precursor of the Battle Flag, usually about 5×3 feet. The blue color in the saltire (the diagonal cross) is much lighter than in the Battle Flag, and it was flown only on Confederate ships from 1863 to 1865.

The design was originally made by South Carolina Congressman William Porcher Miles with the intent to be the first national flag, but it was rejected by the Confederate government for looking too much like crossed suspenders. It was used by a few army units, including the Army of Tennessee as their battle flag from 1864-1865. (After General Joseph Johnston took command of the Army of Tennessee from Braxton Bragg, he ordered its army-wide implementation to improve morale and avoid confusion.) Today, it is the most universally recognized symbol of the South, where it is commonly called the rebel or Dixie flag. This flag is often erroneously called "the Confederate Flag". (This Flag is often incorrectly referred to as the Stars and Bars; the actual Stars and Bars is the First National Flag.)


The Confederate Navy Jack, 1861-1863Sometimes, the saltire is described as a "Saint Andrew's Cross." But it is unclear if this was the original intent, since Miles' proposals never mentioned this. "St. Andrew's cross" refers either to the national Flag of Scotland (a white saltire over a blue field), or the naval jack of Russia (a blue saltire on a white field). St. Andrew is said to have been martyred on a diagonal cross and is a patron saint of both Russia and Scotland. A legend dating from medieval times held that Saint Andrew's remains and relics washed up on Scottish shores, after a ship intended to convey them for safe keeping in a remote monastery was lost at sea. Most of the white Southern elite at the time of the War traced their ancestry to Britain, and Southern elites tended to identify their heritage as Anglo-Saxon, although much of the white population were in fact either Scots or Scots-Irish during the 19th century.


What is usually called "The Confederate Flag" or "The Confederate Battle Flag" (actually the Navy Jack as explained above) is still a widely-recognized symbol. The display of the flag is a controversial and very emotional issue, generally because of disagreement over exactly what it symbolizes. To many in the US South it is simply a symbol of their heritage and pride in their ancestors who held out during years of war under terrible odds and sacrifice. Others see it as a symbol of the institution of slavery, or of the Jim Crow laws established by the many Southern states enforcing racial segregation within their borders for almost a century later. As a result, there have been numerous political fights over the use of the Confederate battle flag in Southern state flags, at sporting events at Southern universities, and on public buildings. According to Civil War historian and southerner Shelby Foote, the flag traditionally represented the south's resistance to northern political dominance generally; it became racially charged during the Civil Rights Movement, when protecting segregation suddenly became the focal point of that resistance.

Over time the flag has acquired a wide range of meanings, some apparently contradicting one another. Since the CSA was fighting for independence during the Civil War, much as the United States did during the Revolutionary War, the Confederate Flag has always had connotations of rebellion, patriotism, self-determination, dissent, freedom, and liberty. Since the issues of slavery and, later, segregation, are deeply intertwined with the CSA and the Civil Rights Movement, the Confederate Flag has connotations of racism and slavery. Part of the enduring power and controversy of the flag stems from its symbolization of both liberty and slavery, both freedom and segregation. The United States flag, the "Stars and Stripes", can be seen to stand for similar contradictory symbols as well. Racism has been as much a feature of the North as of the South. The Antebellum slave system depended on financial investment from the North. The Confederate Flag can symbolize treason, yet the American Flag is seen by some to symbolize empire and conquest. But because the Stars and Stripes is the national flag today, it remains relatively free of the kind of controversy that surrounds the Confederate Flag. As John M. Coski put it in his book "The Confederate Battle Flag", the Confederate Flag remains a powerful symbol and is unlikely to go away.

On April 12, 2000, the South Carolina state senate passed a bill to remove the flag of the former Confederate States of America from on top of the statehouse dome by a majority vote of 36 to 7. Placed there in 1962, according to one local news report, "the new bill specified that a more traditional version of the battle flag would be flown in front of the Capitol next to a monument honoring fallen Confederate soldiers." The bill then went to the House, where it encountered some difficulty. But on May 18, 2000, after the bill was modified to ensure that the height of the flag's new pole would be 30 feet, it was passed by a majority of 66 to 43, and Governor Jim Hodges signed the bill five days later. On July 1, the flag was removed from the South Carolina statehouse. Current state law prohibits the flag's removal from the statehouse grounds without additional legislation. Police were placed to guard this flag after several attempts by individuals to remove it. Some regard the flag as easier to see in that location than when it was atop the State House Dome.

More recent studies, however, show changing attitudes toward the Confederate battle flag, particularly among blacks - perhaps due to media reports of the issue stemming from legislative battles regarding the flag's official use in Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. In 2005, two Western Carolina University researchers found that 74% of U.S. African-Americans polled favored removal of the flag from the South Carolina Capitol building. Cooper & Knotts, 2005 As battle lines over the use of the flag have (again) hardened, the NAACP and many civil rights groups have attacked the flag. Other groups such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans have actively protested the use of any Confederate flags by the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups, stating that the hate groups are blemishing the memory of the ancestors of the SCV.[1] Some members of the SCV have even faced down Klansmen at their rallies and marches, to protest the inappropriate usage of these flags.[1] The NAACP maintains an official boycott of South Carolina, citing its continued use of the battle flag on its Statehouse grounds.

Answer 2

The confederate flag is no more racial as the U.S flag. If the blacks thought the U.S flag was racial would the States and government have taken it down you all know that answer so what is the differences it only because a few racial minded people white and black decided it was racial after it stood for over 400 years. It's not right for the government to bow to all the demand of the black people because it will never end they will find something else to complain about.

Answer 3

It is not only racist, but it is more importantly the reinforced Ideas of the Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation that declared the Good of the Nation depended on a strong Federal government and not by states rights groups. It also represents Treason as spelled out in the Constitution it needs to be burnt, buried and destroyed instead of trying to bring it back along with the notions of destroying this great Nation

Answer 4

It was the second flag in during the civil war. The first flag could have been confused with the Union's flag, so the Confederates changed it. See the link below for more info.

Answer 5

Soooo..... Tired of this somebody s done me wrong song..... You are free to live how and where you choose...... Because someone fought for your right to do so !
Slavery was a tragedy , segregation an injustice ! Wiping out nations of American Indian s and confining what little was left to reservations was unforgivable !
Let us learn from our mistakes/injustices !
Let them not be your claims to fame , your poor me I m a victim attitude !

Stand up ! Be accountable for your actions or inactions ! Teach your children to do so !
Stand up ! Be proud of who you are where you come from !

Get on your knees n be Thankful for those who died in the fight to give you those Rights!

I intend to buy every confederate flag I can and fly them proudly ! Because I can !
Because I will not forget those that fought for the right for me to do so !

Answer 6

Pretty sure it stands for mint julips. If somebody can associate it with slavery why not anything else the south is known for. Maybe southern hospitality..maybe gator bites or how about fried chicken?...nope don't go there you'll be in trouble with the NAACP again and have your KFC boycotted..that's it! The flag stands for KFC chicken pot pies!..I'm pretty damn sure those started in the south...now I am also pissed about that flag..chicken pot pies are a terrible waste of chicken...those things are nasty..TEAR DOWN THAT FLAG!!

Answer 7

It is appalling to read and to know there was ever slavery in the United States. However, to me it seems it is something we should never forget. That flag is the Reminder! It is PART OF OUR HISTORY of how the African American race overcame that injustice, and gained their freedom of today. HAVE YOU HEARD.....WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT! That is proof of what a black person can accomplish today, IF they have the fortitude to go to school, colllege, and finally get an occupation, that reflects knowledge. I don't think our President was ever a slave or picked cotton. This is just my feeling.....as ruthless as slavery was, it is our history, and something that should be in front of our children's faces as the learn more about how we got to where we are now!

Answer 8

all this time I thought the confederate flag stands for, Mister Rogers Neighborhood!

Answer 9

it means different things to different people. it was used during the civil war as the flag for the rebel states.

to some people it stood for racism/slavery and all that.

to others it just means history

to others it's a symbol that a group of people didn't belief what others felt was right and stood up and fought against it..

to each person it has it's own meaning..

Answer 10

while its meaning is somewhat controversial i believe that people should be able to display it freely. and by the way mr. mohamad d. needs to get a clue and put down the rap music and read some books before he runs his mouth. first off the emanipation proclamation was not initiated until we had been @ war for over 2 years. so not that was not the reason for the war. the reason was states rights. yes part of that was that lincoln wanted to limit slavery in the south, but originally he never intended to totally end it. it was only after lincoln saw that the war support was waning and that the english was considering helping the south because of their need for southern cotton did lincoln make slabvery an issue. if one really wants to abolish symbols that have promoted tyranny and genocide then we should throw out the current american flag, because there is alot of injustice and blood on it as well. like i said if you homeboys would put down the tupac cds and pick up a book you might be able to make a valid point!!!!!!!!

Answer 11

Styx and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. Same with Flags, if you are offended by a Flag you have serious issues. We have all these people burning our Nations flag and its freedom of speech. We have people who honor a flag and they are racists hating pigs. What is that. You don t like the flag it OFFENDS you don t look at it.