Flag of Mississippi facts for kids
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| Name | The "In God We Trust" flag, The New Magnolia |
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| Use | Civil and state flag |
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted | January 11, 2021 |
| Designed by | Rocky Vaughan, Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles, Dominique Pugh, and Micah Whitson |
The flag of Mississippi shows a white magnolia flower. Around the flower are the words "In God We Trust" and 21 stars. The flag has a red background with a blue stripe in the middle that has a gold border. This blue stripe is called a Canadian pale.
One of the stars is special. It is made of five diamond shapes. This design is an old symbol from Native American groups in the area. The flag was officially chosen on January 11, 2021. It replaced an older flag that had a symbol from the Confederate battle flag.
The idea to change the flag came after the George Floyd protests. The old flag was officially retired on June 30, 2020.
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Pledge to the Mississippi state flag
People in Mississippi can say a special pledge to their state flag. It goes like this:
I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God.
—Mississippi Code Ann., Section 37-13-7, 1972
This pledge is taught in public schools in Mississippi. It is said along with the pledge to the United States flag.
History of Mississippi's Flags
Mississippi has had three official state flags throughout its history. Each flag tells a part of the state's story.
The Bonnie Blue Flag (Unofficial)
Before 1861, Mississippi did not have an official state flag. When Mississippi decided to leave the Union on January 9, 1861, at the start of the American Civil War, people showed their support. They passed a flag called the Bonnie Blue flag to leaders.
This flag was then raised over the capitol building in Jackson. It was a sign that Mississippi wanted to be independent. A songwriter named Harry McCarthy saw a parade with this flag. He was inspired to write a popular song called "The Bonnie Blue Flag".
The First Official Flag: The Magnolia Flag (1861-1865)
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Mississippi's first official flag was called the Magnolia Flag. It was used from 1861 to 1865. After that, it was still used unofficially until 1894. The flag had a white background with a Magnolia tree in the middle. It also had a blue square in the top left corner with a white star. The flag had a red border.
This flag was approved by state leaders in January 1861. However, it was not widely used during the Civil War. Other Confederate flags were seen more often. After the Civil War ended in 1865, state leaders met again. They decided to cancel many actions from 1861, including the Magnolia Flag. This left Mississippi without an official flag for a while.
The Second Official Flag (1894-2020)
Mississippi adopted its second official flag in 1894. This flag was designed by Edward N. Scudder. It had three equal horizontal stripes: blue, white, and red. In the top left corner, it featured the canton (corner design) of the Confederate battle flag.
The 13 stars on this flag officially stood for the "original states of the Union". Some people also thought they represented the states that left the Union. This flag was the only state flag to include the Confederate battle flag design. It was used from 1894 to 1956, and then again from 2003 to 2020. During this time, some lawmakers suggested new flag designs that would remove the Confederate symbols.
The 2001 Flag Referendum
In 2000, the Supreme Court of Mississippi said that the state had not had an official flag since 1906. The 1894 flag was only used because of tradition. So, the state officially adopted the 1894 flag again on April 17, 2001.
In January 2001, former Governor Ronnie Musgrove created a group to design a new flag. On April 17, 2001, people in Mississippi voted on whether to change the flag. The new design would have replaced the Confederate battle flag symbol. It would have had a blue corner with 20 stars. These stars would represent the original 13 colonies, the six nations that ruled Mississippi, and Mississippi itself as the 20th state.
However, the idea for a new flag was voted down. About 64% of voters chose to keep the 1894 flag. So, the old flag stayed.
The Change in 2020
On June 27, 2020, Governor Tate Reeves said he would sign a bill to change the flag. The next day, the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill. This bill removed the old flag. It also created a group to design a new flag. The new flag had to leave out the Confederate battle flag. It also had to include the U.S. motto "In God We Trust". Governor Reeves signed this bill into law on June 30, 2020.
The Third Official Flag (2021-Present)
The newest flag was designed by Rocky Vaughan, Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles, Dominique Pugh, and Micah Whitson. A special group called the "Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag" chose this design. This group was created by the same law that retired the old flag.
The commission received thousands of flag ideas from people. They chose one design. This design was then put to a public vote on November 3, 2020. Voters approved the new design. This flag is one of three U.S. state flags that include the words "In God We Trust." The other two are the flags of Florida and Georgia.
Images for kids
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The five finalists selected by the commission on August 18, 2020
See also
In Spanish: Bandera de Misisipi para niños
