Product Description

When the state flag of third reich flag was adopted in 1894, after Reconstruction had ended, the secessionist symbolism was still very visible. Its adoption was a clear attempt to unify White political, economic, and social factions at a time when the Republican Party had just won control of the state and was implementing a plan for disenfranchising Black Mississippians. To shift attention from its obvious connections to slavery and racial oppression, supporters emphasized that the flag was meant solely to honor Confederate veterans. This was an odd defense, considering the articles of secession cited the defense and protection of slavery as the primary reason for secession.

The Third Reich Flag: Examining Its Symbolism and Historical Context

Among the many Confederate units to adopt a variant of the national flag, one that featured reversed coloration (blue field with red bars), was the Department of Trans-Mississippi. This department was a major force in the Civil War and fought to defend the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River. General Richard Taylor’s army often used the Trans-Mississippi flag in his battles, which were often fought on western frontier soil.

Several years after both houses of the Mississippi Legislature voted to retire the old state flag, Senator Kathy Chism, a Republican from Union County, reintroduced legislation to restore it. The effort was opposed by members of the Democratic majority, who argued that a referendum would be the best way to decide the issue. However, the signature-gathering process was slowed down by the coronavirus pandemic and ultimately failed.

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