Why the Current Version of the Confederate Flag Was Never the Official Flag of the Confederacy

CGP Grey explains the complicated history of the Confederate flag, how it was created, its many iterations, and how the current version was never actually the official flag of Confederate government.

The popularity of the official flag decreased in the confederacy as time went on (even as they kept increasing the stars) while the popularity of the battle flag grew. So in 1863 the Confederate Government tried again, and went with white sticking the battle flag in the corner. This was *better* in sense that the flag looked less like the Yankee’s, but *worse* in that the international symbol of surrender was now in the background. The army stuck with theirs. Two years later, the confederate government *again* changed the flag, adding a red bar and a new, tough name. Also, the design *slightly* rectangularlified the battle flag. This could no longer be mistaken for surrender and was the last flag as 36 days later the confederacy surrendered.