The Bonnie Blue flag was used by early groups of secessionists and it had been used by the short-lived West Florida Republic; 1810. Mississippi adopted the Bonnie Blue when it seceded from the Union in 1861 as did some of other seceding states until a national flag could be approved. The Confederate States of America was initially founded by 7 states and its first flag was constantly modified as more states broke with the Federal government. By 1861, the number had reached 13, as many as the original American colonies. In 1863, the Confederate leadership decided to change the national flag and placed the battle flag into the canton of a new design. This was done with the hopes of boosting faltering national morale. The Confederate battle flag was designed by William Miles; he originally designed it as the new national flag. The battle flag is the most recognized of Confederate era symbols.
