Beauregard Confederate Battle Flag

Confederate States of America: Beauregard Battle Flag
Chantell L. Bonham
Atwood-Hammond High School

Abstract
In this research paper I will be discussing the controversies with the Confederate Battle Flag known today as the “Rebel Flag” and the “Beauregard Battle Flag”. In this paper, you will see the National Association of the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP), this is an organization that helps protects colored people’s rights. I went about researching everything using the internet as my resource. My view on this topic is that the “Rebel Flag” should not be a thing that has as much attention as it has. It is quite offensive and people should be more careful.

Confederate States of America:
Beauregard Battle Flag The controversy with the Beauregard Battle Flag from the Civil War is still taking place today. Many people have their opinions on it. The controversy in this case is whether or not the Beauregard Battle Flag has anything to do with racism. It is understandable that the Beauregard Battle Flag is a part of history and represented more than slavery. However, it is still inappropriate to have it still flying on state flags or flaunted around as a “country” symbol. According to Mississippi History Now (2014), the Beauregard Battle Flag came about after the First Battle of Manassas.
The first Confederate Flag, known as the Stars and Stripes, was used as the battle flag. It quickly became noticeable that it was difficult to distinguish between the Federal Flag and the Confederate flag that the soldiers would wear on their uniform. The Beauregard Battle Flag was introduced by General P.G.T. Beauregard after going through this battle and seeing firsthand how difficult it was. The Beauregard Battle Flag was changed in many ways when it came to the designing, but it finally got its final design after a vote. The Beauregard Battle Flag was a square, red flag with a blue Southern Cross outlined in white. Inside the cross it had a five-pointed white star for each of the Confederate States. After its adoption as a battle flag, it quickly spread out, and the people started to use it as a symbol of pride. It was raised on many flag poles and put on several Confederate States’ flags. It soon acquired the nickname of “Stainless” and started its rise to the
top. J.M. Coski tries to steadily explain this controversy with the Beauregard Battle Flag in his book The Confederate Battle Flag: America’s Most Embattled Emblem (2005). In this book, Coski shows that the Confederate Flag solely represents heritage, which then goes with the saying that most people use to defend the Beauregard Battle Flag, “Heritage not Hate”. Most people stopped using the flag as a representation of the south after the Civil War ended, but it became popular once again around the late 1930s. Coski states that the reason it came back around is blamed on Hollywood for presenting it in movies such as “Gone With the Wind”. The meaning and the role of the Beauregard Battle Flag had completely changed because it was used by the Ku Klux Klan as an emblem of white supremacy in the United States. By the 1950s the Beauregard Battle Flag was used for many other reasons besides just showing heritage. This flag represented the region of the South, rebellion, redneck culture, segregation, and racism. For people to hold high the Beauregard Battle Flag, now known as the “Rebel Flag”, holds a sensation of white supremacy and disrespect to minorities and their past.
Wanting to keep the flag around for heritage reasons in museums and places that preserve past flags is completely okay. Whenever it comes to wearing the flag or flying it on important buildings under the American flag is where it becomes inappropriate. Coski (2005) states that in the 1980s the NAACP tried to rally or annul the use of the Confederate Beauregard Battle Flag in states and emblems. Coski shares my current opinion that Southern states should not banish the Beauregard Battle Flag but yet try to understand that its role and meaning are different for different groups of people. The flag should just be retired to museums. Dean Obeidallah brought a new light to these old eyes of mine (CNN, 2013). He put to light that people who still support the Beauregard Battle Flag are technically considered traitors and are committing the crime of treason. The South had broken away from the United States, rebelled, and killed several of our soldiers. He states that over 110,000 U.S. soldiers were killed during this Civil War. In conclusion, the Beauregard Battle Flag is technically a part of history and should be remembered. Remembering should be different than currently representing. Seeing a symbol such as this, that is related to so many bad things in our country’s past, is hurtful and uncaring. The flag
should just be put into museums and should be retired from being on important flags.

Citations
Coski, J. M. (2005). The confederate battle flag: America 's most embattled emblem. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cwbr.com/index.php?q=3376&field=ID&browse=yes&record= full&searching=yes&Submit=Search Mississippi Historical Society. (2000–2014). A brief history of the confederate flags. Retrieved fromhttp://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/articles/107/history-of-the-confederate-flags
Obeidallah, D. (2013, October 25). Confederate flag was the flag of traitors. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/25/opinion/obeidallah-confederate-flag/
Son of the South.(2013-2014). Confederate flag. Retrieved from http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/Confederate_Civil_War_Flag.htm