South Carolina was the first state to secede from the United States. It also was the first to adopt their own flag. The design of the flag came from South Carolina's revolutionary heritage. The crescent moon was the symbol of South Carolina's colonial government during the Revolutionary War. During that time they fought under blue flags with a white crescent in the upper corner. The other emblem of South Carolina was a palmetto tree. It was said that it was inspired by the British.
The original flag of South Carolina was the old revolutionary flag with the white crescent. Added in the center was a large oval on which appeared palmetto trees in natural colors. Two days later, the legislature changed the flag. They removed the oval and placed a white palmetto tree on the blue field. This revision has lasted to this very day. The flag was adopted by South Carolina prior to the Civil War.
On January 9, 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede from the United States. They adopted an official state flag on January 26, 1861. The new flag incorporated the Bonnie Blue Flag as a canton on a white field. In the center was a representation of a magnolia tree in natural colors. The fly end of the magnolia flag was decorated with a red fringe.
When Georgia seceded from the Union, a new flag was raised over the capitol of Georgia. This new flag featured the arch of the constitution being supported by the pillars of justice, wisdom and moderation. Over the years, the field has changed to blue, however there was a surviving Georgia flag in a museum. But the arms were on a red field. We are not sure what color the field of this flag was. Tradition said it was blue, but a flag that survived the war in a Confederacy Museum in Richmond has it red.
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