State flag of Georgia

The current flag of Georgia was adopted on May 8, 2003. The flag has three red and white stripes, with the state coat of arms (taken from the state seal) on a blue field in the upper left corner. In the coat of arms, the arch symbolizes the state's Constitution and the pillars represent the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The words of the state motto, "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation", are wrapped around the pillars, being guarded by a man (possibly a soldier from the American Revolution) with a drawn sword, representing the military's defense of the Constitution. The thirteen stars surrounding the seal denotes Georgia's position as one of the original thirteen colonies. Image File history File links Flag_of_Georgia_(U.S._state). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Georgia_(U.S._state). ... The tricolour flag of France A flag is a symbol, often displayed on a piece of cloth that can be flown from a pole or mast, and is generally used for signalling or identification. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... Seal of Georgia The Seal of Georgia is yellow in color. ... It has been suggested that Colonial America be merged into this article or section. ...

Pledge to the Georgia Flag

I pledge allegiance to the Georgia Flag and to the principles for which it stands: Wisdom, Justice, Moderation.

History and controversy

The state flag used from 1956 to 2001 (see below) featured a prominent Confederate Battle Flag, which a vocal minority of the state's residents found offensive due to memories of its historic use by the Confederate States of America. African-Americans in particular found it offensive, as the emblem was originally adopted not during the American Civil War period but in 1956 during the height of the fight for desegregation. Adherents of the 1956 flag claimed, and state records show, that the flag was designed to commemorate the upcoming Civil War Centennial five years away, while critics speculate it was only adopted as a symbol of racist protest, especially against the decision of Brown v. Board of Education. Support for the flag in 1956 was not unanimous, with the United Daughters of the Confederacy opposing the flag with a prophetic statement that the change "would cause strife". The following flags were used by the Confederate States of America. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (April 3–April 10, 1865) Largest city New Orleans... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Desegregation is the process of ending racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. ... Holding Racial segregation of students in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, because separate facilities are inherently unequal. ... The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is a sororal association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served and died in service to the Confederate States of America (CSA). ...

Political pressure for a change in the official state flag increased during the 1990s, in particular during the run-up to the 1996 Olympic Games that were held in Atlanta, Georgia. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) focused on the Georgia flag as a major issue and some business leaders in Georgia felt that the perceptions of the flag were causing economic harm to the state. Governor Zell Miller attempted to get the cross removed, but the state legislature refused to pass any flag-modifying legislation. Many Atlanta residents and some Georgia politicians refused to fly the 1956 flag and flew the pre-1956 flag instead. (Redirected from 1996 Olympic Games) Categories: 1996 Summer Olympics ... Nickname: Hotlanta, The Big Peach, The ATL Location in Fulton and DeKalb counties in the state of Georgia Coordinates: Country United States State Georgia Counties Fulton, Dekalb Mayor Shirley Franklin (D) Area    - City 343. ... The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States. ... Zell Bryan Miller (born February 24, 1932) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. ...

Historic Georgia Flags
Before 1879 (unofficial)	1879–1902
1902–1906	1906–1920
1920–1956	1956–2001
2001–2003	2003–present

Miller's successor as Governor, Roy Barnes, responded to the increasing calls for a new state flag, and in 2001 quickly hurried a replacement through the legislature under howls of protest. His new flag sought a compromise, by featuring small versions of some (but not all) of Georgia's former flags, including the controversial 1956 flag, under the words "Georgia's History." Those flags are the original thirteen-star "Betsy Ross" U.S. flag; the first Georgia flag (before 1879); the 1920–1956 Georgia flag; the previous state flag (1956–2001); and the current fifty-star U.S. flag. Image File history File links GaBefore1879. ... Image File history File links FIAV_reconstructed. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File links Ga1879. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File links Ga1902. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File links Ga1906. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... Image File history File links GaFlag1920. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Gaflag1956. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Image File history File links GaFlag2001. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Georgia_(U.S._state). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Roy Eugene Barnes (born March 11, 1948) was the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from January 1999 until January 2003. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... National flag and ensign. ...

The 2001 flag, though supposedly less offensive, was not popular. It was seen as looking as though it had been "designed by a committee," and was too complicated and busy. The North American Vexillological Association ranked it as the worst flag in North America by a wide margin, and stated that it "violates all basic rules of flag design." In 2002 Sonny Perdue was elected governor of Georgia, partially on a platform of allowing Georgians to choose their own flag in a referendum. Perdue disappointed many supporters of the 1956 flag by not pursuing a referendum on the flag they favored and instead allowed the Georgia legislature to draft a new flag in 2003. NAVA flag The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) is a body devoted to the study of flags. ... George Ervin Sonny Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is the current governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...

The legislature's proposed flag combined elements of Georgia's previous flags, and created a composition that was largely inspired by the lesser known Confederate First National flag (which in turn was influenced by the U.S. flag), rather than the Confederate Battle Flag. Perdue signed the flag into law in on May 8, 2003. May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The 2003 flag legislation also authorized a public referendum on which of the two most recent flags would be officially adopted as the flag of the state. The 1956 flag was not included in the choices, which left some angry with Governor Perdue. The referendum took place during the state's March 2, 2004 presidential primary election. The 2003 flag was approved by 74.3% of the voters who voted, but many boycotted the vote, including heritage groups and protesters known as "flaggers". Although the vote was not binding, many legislators have expressed hope that this issue is now finally resolved. A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The series of U.S. presidential primaries is one of the first steps in the process of electing a President of the United States. ... An election is a decision making process where people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ...

The irony of those who wish a "non-Confederate" flag is that while the new state flag uses elements of the 1879, 1902, 1906, and 1920 state flags, these flags were similar to the first official flag of the Confederate States of America (see Flags of the Confederate States of America). Though the 1956-2001 flag contained the more widely recognized battle flag, the current flag is derived from the CSA national flag, the original symbol of the social and political aspects of the CSA. By continuing to rely on a CSA flag, many goals of the flag change movement were not fully accomplished. The acceptance of the new flag exmplified much of the debate over the relative emphasis on "heritage" and "hate," given that the accepted flag is derived from the CSA national flag. The new state flag resembles the first official Confederate flag ("The Stars and Bars"), except that the Georgia state seal replaces the seven stars in the blue background. The flaggers to this day continue their protests against governor Perdue. Indeed many Georgians continue to fly the 1956 flag despite its lack of official status. The following flags were used by the Confederate States of America. ... Seal of Georgia The Seal of Georgia is yellow in color. ...

External links

• Georgia State Flag History
• Georgia flag history