The Symbolic Change in the Confederate Flag

The Confederate flag is a controversial symbol in America’s history. Since its creation, it has changed not only in design but in symbolic purpose. This essay will study the changes that the Confederate flag has gone through symbolically from its origin to today, as it has been adopted as a symbol for hate and oppression. We will analyze the initial intent the Confederate flag had originally upon its conception and how white supremacy groups adopted it to fit their agendas. With the help of cross-sectional research studies, we will evaluate the modern-day perception of the flag and how differently it’s viewed regionally for southerner versus the non-southerners. We argue that while the Confederate flag was a symbol of state rights and Southern history, it’s evolved into a symbol of outright racism and bigotry