First National Confederate Flag (11 Stars and Bars, 10 Stars in a circle with one in the middle)

Used from 1861-1863

Also called the “Stars and Bars Flag” and “First National Flag.”

First flown over the Montgomery, Alabama, capitol building on 4 March 1861, This flag was chosen out of hundreds of proposed designs which had been submitted to the provisional Confederate Government and then voted on by the Provisional Confederate Congress.

It was originally adopted with 7 stars (one for each member of the existing new Confederacy) however stars were added as new states broke from the United States to join the Confederacy.

It was later changed after public opinion deemed that it too closely resembled the flag of the Union. There is also speculation that this flag was too easily confused on a crowded and smoky battlefield for the Union flag and may have lead to soldiers following the wrong flags into and out of battle in the confusion.