Alabama State Flag: History, Design, Trivia

DATE FIRST USED   Alabama State Flag February 16, 1895 NICKNAME(S) None DESIGN ELEMENTS Crimson Saint Andrews cross on a white background. The bars of the cross extend diagonally across the flag from one corner to the other, forming an "X." Symbols: Crimson Saint Andrew's cross. The symbol was adopted from the confederate flag. Today, it can be seen as a symbol of self-reliance. Colors: White and crimson. White is a universal color of peace while crimson stands for courage and blood. Proportions: 1:1, 2:3, 3:5, or 5:8 Variations: None HISTORY The state of Alabama joined the Union in 1819, but had no particular need for a state flag until it seceded in 1861 during the Secession Convention on January 11. The first official flag was designed by some women from Montgomery and came to be called the Secession Convention Flag. It was also known as the Republic of Alabama flag. This flag was blue and featured a complex design. On one side was the goddess of liberty carrying a flag and a sword. Her flag had a star and the word Alabama on it. Arched over her were the words Independent Now and Forever. On the other side was a rattlesnake under a cotton bush, with the Latin words noli me tangere, or "don't touch me," underneath. This flag was never officially adopted, but it did fly for about a month until bad weather damaged it. The original was archived, and no efforts were made to reproduce it, probably because the design was too detailed. Alabama adopted the Confederate flag in March of 1861. When the American Civil War ended in 1865, Alabama was once again without a state flag. It wasn't until February 16, 1895, that the state adopted its current flag, which is white with a crimson St. Andrew's cross. PROPER USES The state flag of Alabama is to be hoisted on the State Capital's dome whenever both houses of the state legislature are in session. Any agency or department that gets public funds must fly the flag prominently near the entrance. That includes public schools and law enforcement agencies. It can fly or be displayed on special occasions when appropriate. The governor of Alabama can restrict the state flag's display as needed in particular situations. Whenever the flag is hoisted with the U.S. flag and other flags, the national flag should be at the top, followed by the state flag of Alabama and then any others. LEGENDS, CONTROVERSIES, AND TRIVIA Alabama law doesn't specify whether the flag should be rectangular or square. It is usually a rectangle, a logical choice because U.S. state flags (except one) are rectangular. However, the Alabama state flag is supposed to be based on the Confederate flag, and the Confederate battle flag was square. Therefore, many maintain that the square Alabama flag is the correct version. Though the flag's overall shape is not defined, it's clearly stated that the crimson bars should never be less than six inches wide and must extend diagonally across this flag. The St Andrew's cross originally represented the cross on which the biblical Andrew, Peter's brother, was crucified so that his way of dying would be different from Jesus's. This cross came to be common in medieval times and is now a widely used heraldic symbol. It is identical to the cross of St. Patrick on the United Kingdom's flag. The rattlesnake on the first Alabama flag is a reference to America's original fight for independence. This snake was a common symbol during the revolutionary period, most conspicuously on the yellow Gadsden flag. Benjamin Franklin wrote about this poisonous snake's positive attributes as a heraldic symbol, noting that it is uniquely American: it's difficult to provoke, but once it starts fighting it does not give up.