Bonnie Blue Flag
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The Bonnie Blue Flag, a single white star on a blue field, was the flag of the short-lived Republic of West Florida. [1] In September 1810, settlers in the Spanish territory of West Florida revolted against the Spanish government and proclaimed an independent republic. The Bonnie Blue Flag was raised at the Spanish fort in Baton Rouge on September 23, 1810. In December, West Florida was annexed by the United States and the republic ceased to exist, after a life of 74 days.
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[edit] Influence on other flags
In 1836, The Bonnie Blue served as the inspiration for the first flag of the Republic of Texas, known as the Burnet Flag. It was replaced in 1839 by the currently used Lone Star Flag, which also bears a single star. The single star of the Bonnie Blue Flag was also the inspiration for the red star in the 1846 Bear Flag of California.
[edit] Civil War usage
The Bonnie Blue Flag was first used by the Republic of West Florida when they declared their independence from Spain. The original territory of West Florida was divided up among four Southern states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. When Mississippi seceded from the Union on January 9, 1861, as a sign of independence, the Bonnie Blue Flag was raised over the capitol building in Jackson. An Ulster immigrant named Harry McCarthy was present, and later wrote "The Bonnie Blue Flag" ("bonnie" being a Scottish word meaning "beautiful") which became a popular marching song, and led to the flag being used as an unofficial flag of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Typically, the refrain is:
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- Hurrah! Hurrah!
- For Southern Rights, Hurrah!
- Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
- That bears a Single Star!
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On January 26, 1861, Mississippi officially adopted a new flag, which included the Bonnie Blue Flag in its canton and a magnolia tree in its center field (known as the Magnolia Flag).
[edit] Current usage
The flag is still used to represent the South, and for some is a way of representing favor for the doctrine of states' rights. Since the flag pre-dates the Civil War and is not associated with slavery, it is considered to be a less-offensive alternative to the Confederate Battle Flag.[2]
Today, the flag flies in most of the Florida Parishes of Louisiana, and is used on road signs along Interstate 12, which has been designated the "Republic of West Florida Parkway".
HMGS-South uses the flag in reference to the organization’s location and appreciation of history especially for activities related to miniature wargaming.
A nearly identical, yet unrelated, flag portraying a single star on a blue field is normally displayed during US military ceremonies indicating the presence of a US Navy Rear Admiral (Lower Half) or Brigadier General of the USAF. The Marine Corps, USMC, or US Army, General Officers display a simliar flag with a red background and an appropriate number of white stars corresponding to their rank (Brigadier Genral = 1 star, Major General = 2 stars, Lieutenant General = 3 Stars, General = 4 stars). These flags are generally displayed separately from the American Flag by attachment to a secondary flag staff. Smaller flags for Army Generals are also known as "personal" flags and are displayed in their office spaces.[3]
[edit] Popular culture
In the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell and the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, Rhett Butler decides to call his newborn daughter "Bonnie Blue Butler" when Melanie Wilkes remarks that her eyes are "as blue as the Bonnie Blue Flag"[4] (emphasized by the girl's blue clothes, while Scarlett wears mainly green garments).[4] In the 2005 movie Sahara, a Confederate ironclad is said to be steaming up the Niger River under a "banner of a single star", likely referencing the Bonnie Blue Flag.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
Listed are general notes and footnotes for References, below.
- ^ See linked terms for more explanation and source references.
- ^ Note that the actual Confederate political flag, the "Stars and Bars" has not typically been considered politically incorrect like the battle flag.
- ^ MCO P10520.3B Marine Corps Flag Manual
- ^ a b O. Levitski and O. Dumer, "Bestsellers: Color Symbolism and Mythology in Margaret Mitchell’s Novel Gone with the Wind" (of "Bonnie Blue"), Americana: The Institute for the Study of American Popular Culture, Sept. 2006, webpage: APC-Mitchell.
[edit] References
- West Florida by Ann Gilbert.
[edit] External links
- Flags of Mississippi
- Flags of Florida
- The U.S. Takeover of West Florida
- West Florida by Ann Gilbert
- History of the flag at the Republic of West Florida Historical Museum.
