9781422287446

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The first president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, is pictured with his advisors in Montgomery, Alabama, in this illustration made in February 1861.The man standing on the left is Christopher G. Memminger, who contributed to the design of several Confederate flags.

The Stars and Bars

T he notion that the Confederacy would need its own flag was raised in Montgomery, Alabama, in February 1861, as delegates from Southern states that had decided to leave the Union gathered to write a char- ter for their new government. The Confederate Congress met in the Alabama State House. Jefferson Davis had just been elected the first president of the Confederacy. He appointed a committee to design a Great Seal, Coat of Arms, motto, and flag. William Porcher Miles, a delegate from South Carolina, was made chairman of what became known as the Flag and Seal Committee. The committee soon found itself swamped with ideas. The first designs were proposed by Christopher G.

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