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Stars and Bars adopted as flag of the Confederate States

When
1861
Where
First Confederate Capitol
Episodes
1

The Stars and Bars became the first official national flag of the Confederate States on March 4, 1861. Adopted in Montgomery, Alabama, the flag was raised over the dome of the first Confederate capitol. The adoption date coincided with President Lincoln's inauguration, serving as an unwritten deadline for the flag committee's competition.

Episodes

  1. 1861-03-04 · First Confederate CapitolAdoption of the Stars and Bars

    The Stars and Bars was adopted as the first national flag on March 4, 1861, in Montgomery, coinciding with Lincoln's inauguration.

Background and detail

Background. The Confederate States of America was formed in February 1861 by seceding states. Montgomery, Alabama, served as the first capital from February 4 until May 29, 1861. During the Montgomery Convention, no national flag was selected because no proposals had been submitted, leading to a committee competition to find a new design.

Adoption. The Stars and Bars was adopted on March 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama. This date was the unwritten adoption deadline for the flag committee, coinciding with President Lincoln's inauguration. The flag was raised over the dome of the first Confederate capitol, serving as the first official national flag until May 1, 1863.

Context. The flag served as the Confederate Navy's first battle ensign from 1861 to 1863. The adoption occurred in the first temporary national capital, Montgomery, which was chosen in February 1861. The flag's use ended in 1863, preceding the adoption of the Stainless Banner.

Sources

  1. Flags of the Confederate States of America Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
  2. Confederate States of America Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
  3. Montgomery, Alabama Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-01

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.