Mississippi

This page uses Creative Commons licensed content from Wikipedia. (view authors)

The flag of the State of Mississippi was adopted by Mississippi in 1894, replacing the flag that had been adopted in 1861. It is the sole remaining U.S. state flag which bears the Confederate battle flag's saltire, after Georgia adopted a new flag in 2003.

On April 17, 2001, a non-binding state referendum to change the flag was put before Mississippi voters. The proposal would have replaced the Confederate battle flag with a blue canton with 20 stars. The outer ring of 13 stars would represent the original Thirteen Colonies, the ring of six stars would represent the six nations that have had sovereignty over Mississippi territory, and the inner and slightly larger star would represent Mississippi itself. The 20 stars would also represent Mississippi's status as the 20th member of the United States. The new flag was soundly defeated in a vote of 64% to 36% and the old flag was retained.

Historical flags

Prior to 1861, like most states, Mississippi had no state flag. When Mississippi declared its secession from the Union on January 9, 1861 near the start of the American Civil War, spectators in the balcony handed a Bonnie Blue Flag down to the Session Convention delegates on the floor, and one was raised over the capitol building in Jackson as a sign of independence.

Flag of Mississippi (1861-1894) — 1861–1894 flag; official state flag between 1861 and 1865

The first official flag of Mississippi was known as the Magnolia Flag. It was the official flag of the state from 1861 until 1865 and it remained in use as an unofficial flag until 1894, when the current flag was adopted. On January 26 the delegates to the Secession Convention of the newly formed Sovereign Republic of Mississippi approved the report of a special committee that had been appointed to design a coat of arms and “a suitable flag.” The flag recommended by the committee was: “A Flag of white ground, a Magnolia tree in the centre, a blue field in the upper left hand corner with a white star in the centre, the Flag to be finished with a red border and a red fringe at the extremity of the Flag.” Due to time constraints and the pressure to raise “means for the defense of the state” the delegates actually neglected to officially adopt the flag in January, but did so when they reassembled in March.

The Magnolia Flag was not widely used or displayed during the Civil War, as the various Confederate flags were displayed more frequently. The Magnolia Flag remained the official state flag of Mississippi until 1865, when following the conclusion of the Civil War, a constitutional convention assembled in Jackson on August 22 began to revoke and repeal many of the actions taken by the Secession Convention of 1861. Among those repealed was the ordinance adopting a coat of arms and a state flag, leaving Mississippi without an official flag.

Mississippi

Historical flags

Proposals for a New Flag of Mississippi

Fan Feed