Study of a Sign - The Confederate Flag
The Confederate battle flag, or simply the Confederate flag as it is now known, is the banner under which the Confederate army fought in the American Civil War. The flag bears a blue saltire (cross) emblazoned with thirteen five-pointed stars, representing the Confederate states, on a red background.
Historical, Socio-political and Cultural Background –
The Confederate flag has a complex and ever evolving history. There were three successive designs that served as the official national "flags of the Confederate States of America" (the "Confederate States" or the "Confederacy"). The Confederate States of America (CSA or C.S.), commonly referred to as the Confederacy, was a confederation of secessionist
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This process uses three main components called signifier, signified and referent. The signifier is the sequence of sounds, marks on a page or an image. The signified is the mental concept of some part of reality. The referent is the external reality which has some physical existence.
The process of signification of the Confederate flag can be explained by recognizing the aforementioned components in terms of this particular symbol as follows:
• Signifier – The image of the Confederate flag or the word itself.
• Signified – The mental concept of the Confederate flag i.e. the blue saltire on a red surface.
• Referent – The physical and concrete existence of the Confederate flag i.e. the actual flag itself.
These three components and the relationship between them create meaning of the symbol under study which is the Confederate flag.
Connotation and Denotation –
The denotation or the literal meaning associated with Confederate flag is that it was the battle flag of the Confederate army during the civil war and stands as a symbol of the Confederacy which was a confederation of secessionist American states existing from 1861 to
In America the confederate flag is often known as a symbol of slavery and abuse. Daniel Barkley argued a completely different argument in this text. He stated the confederate flag was removed from South Carolina’s State Capitol because African Americans began to make this their “black power flag”.
The Confederate Flag is a demoralizing symbol to many African Americans in the United States. To a number of African Americans because they think this flag is a symbol of slavery and the domination whites had over slaves during the time of the civil war. This flag is
Within the United States of America, arguments, involving the Confederate Flag, are solved every sngle day. However, some controversies have managed to carry on from the 1800’s until present day without any solution. The text and symbolic meaning behind the “Confederate Flag” is a perfect example. The Confederate Flag is one of America’s most embattled symbolic controversies. Created in 1861in a battle between the South, Confederates, and the North, Union, two men by the name P.G.T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles designed and created a flag that would represent the true southern pride and demands that would not only bring about conflict with one half of the nation but also with our American society today.
The confederate flag was used in the civil war where the south separated from the rest of the states. The reason for this was to keep slavery to not loose labor, they also didn't want to treat african american slaves as equals. The flag was used as the most popular symbol for the confederates. We fought our self and lost so many lives for this cause. In the end the north won, the south(confederate) join the u.s once more and slavery was not allowed and was passed as a law.
One of the most trending topics in America right now is the Confederate Flag and whether or not it 's racist. 42 percent think the flag represent southern heritage and the other 42 percent think it 's racist and should be taken down. 75 percent believe it 's racist and only one in ten will agree that it is southern heritage. Depending on what region is asked about if it is racist, there are different answers. The Midwest say it is racist and the south, of course, say it 's not racist. A poll showed that African Americans, Democrats, and the highly educated were more likely to perceive the flag negatively. The Confederate States of America came into existence on February 4, 1861. It had six states at first and they were the Deep South. Those states were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. After April 1861 four upper south states joined. They were Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. They made they 're own court system and congress. It reflected a lot of the American government. The confederate flag should be taken down because it is a symbol of hate, rebellion and racism.
The Confederate Battle flag is one of the most recognized symbols in the United States. It is not always a welcome symbol in today’s society. Take for instance the state of South Carolina having to remove it from its statehouse on April 12, 2000. The reason it is not always welcome is because people often misinterpret its true meaning. It is not a symbol of hatred but, a symbol of southern pride and honor. The pride and honor of all the men and women who carried it the flag into battle fighting for what they believed in, Southern independence.
Picture if you were treated differently by a flag that was flown, this can happen in our country at anytime. The confederate flag was flown as a symbol for the southern states in the civil war for keeping their culture which included slavery. The confederate flag should not be flown because it is offensive, symbol of hate, and racist.
The confederate flag first appeared when it became a symbol for the Confederate Army during the civil war. Even though The South lost, the flag remained a symbol for many individuals who supported Southern Nationalism. When General Robert E. Lee surrendered the confederate flag was lowered, however it was not lowered forever, shortly after the surrender of the rebels, the flag was flown again. This symbolizes
Yes, it may represent Southerners fighting for what they believed in, but the Confederate flag is a symbol of the prejudice that was fought to be retained and spread throughout the United States. Jones claims that “Perceptions of the flag depend upon context. At a national cemetery or national battlefield, it is seen in the historical context of the American Civil War. ” (Jones). Heritage is hate. Our country’s past is the racism and slavery of Blacks. There is no separating the two. No matter the setting, the history is the same and the Confederate flag will still represent racism towards Blacks. I might be interpreted differently throughout the country, but the symbolism is still the same. There are so many ways to celebrate the heritage of the South and even with all the disputes over the use of the Confederate flag, people still continue to raise it pridefully; not because they are showing their pride in the South, but their pride in the prejudice of Blacks. To say that “the flag … has been seen as a symbol of a non-racist Southern spirit by millions of viewers internationally” (Jones) is simply false. No matter where you are in the country, the history is all the same: the South fought for slavery in the civil war. The Confederate Flag: a flag raised by Confederate soldiers fighting to keep Blacks from
While some have argued that the flag represents their heritage and southern pride, others feel that it represents racial separation and a very ugly period in this country’s history. The Confederate battle flag is the most recognizable and has become a primary the single
The flag is a symbol of pride and patriotism. “The flag is not racist. It is a symbol of patriots who were willing to die to protect this country and make sure it remained as the founders intended,” (Is the confederate flag racist?, 1). This exemplifies that the flag is not a racist symbol, it is a symbol of patriotism. The Confederate flag is not a racist
The South seceded from the Union because of slavery. This flag is what represented the slave states. The Confederate Flag should not be raised because it is a sign of oppression, it is not used anymore, and it shows a sad event in U.S. history. The Confederate Flag should not be raised because it is a sign of oppression.
The Confederate Flag has been around since the nineteenth century. It was used by the Confederate Army to show that they unite under a different union, and not the one that will bind our nation as a whole. In the articles: “Executive Order Banning Confederate Flags, Memorabilia,” “Ban Backlash: Confederate Flag Backers Ready to Battle,” and “Everybody Has Suddenly Noticed Confederate Flag is Widely Available.” it is illustrated that the ideas about how the Confederate Flag are being used today as a racial integration; declaring that the discontinuance of the Confederate Flag is completely ethical and is a priority to ensure the end of riots.
In South Carolina people see the confederate battle flag as a symbol of history instead of a symbol of hate of different racial backgrounds. There was two different types of confederate flags one flag was for battle and the second flag was for a national flag. On March 4, 1861 the first official confederate national flag was used at the inauguration of President Lincoln. The first flag was like the United States flag it was red white and blue. The confederate flag was red with one big band of white in the top left comer of the flag was blue box with seven stars. This is how the flag got a nickname of “Stars and Bars”.
Confederate flags symbolise different things to others. One may say, “It shows slavery and persecution” and others say “It is pride of southern heritage”. More so today, people will see it as persecution, and believe it is wrong to wield around the flag of the nation, who pursued one of America’s greatest shames.