Flag of Georgia (United States)
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Image:Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg
The current flag of Georgia was adopted on May 8, 2003 after years of controversy.
The state flag used from 1956 to 2001 (see below) featured a prominent Confederate Battle Flag, which some 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. 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".
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.
| Historic Georgia Flags | |
|---|---|
| Image:GaBefore1879.gif Before 1879 (unofficial) | Image:Ga1879.svg 1879 - 1902 |
| Image:Ga1902.gif 1902 - 1906 | Image:Ga1906.gif 1906 - 1920 |
| Image:GaFlag1920.gif 1920 - 1956 | Image:Gaflag1956.png 1956 - 2001 |
| Image:GaFlag2001.jpg 2001-2003 | Image:Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg 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.
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.
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.
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.
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). The new state flag resembles the first official Confederate flag, 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.
External links
Template:US state flagsfr:Drapeaux de Géorgie
pl:Flaga stanowa Georgii
sv:Georgias flagga