What Does the Red Represent on the Rebel Flag?

The Rebel flag is commonly referred to as the "Stars and Bars."

The original Confederate flag consisted of only blue and white and was commonly referred to as "The Bonnie Blue." It was an all-blue flag stamped with a single white star in the middle. Red wasn't introduced to the confederate flag until the beginning of the civil war in 1861.

1861-1863

In the first half of the American Civil War the Confederate flag looked like a simpler version of the North's "Stars and Stripes." The top left hand corner was blue with seven white stars, which eventually turned to thirteen stars as other states attempted to secede. The backdrop was a solid red bar lining the top and bottom with a solid white bar dividing them.

1863-1865

During the later years of the war, the Confederate army altered their flag to the "Stars and Bars" we know today. The flag features a solid red backdrop with two intersecting blue bars displaying thirteen white stars across. The square version was most often seen on the battlefield, while the extended rectangular version, know as the "Navy Jack" was most often seen on Confederate ships.

What the Red Respresents

While the blue represented the battlefield and the white represented the men fighting, the red represented the passion and valor each man displayed on the battlefield. Red was the color of the hearts they professed to be following and of the blood they spilled, both of their own and their countrymen. Ironically, the red on the "Stars and Stripes" represents the exact same thing.

References

• World Atlas: Confederate Flags