On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state admitted to the Union. Mississippi, along with Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, and Tennessee, were officially recognized on a 20-star United States flag the following July 4 – the first Old Glory created under the Flag Act of 1818 that provided for the modern rule of 13 stripes representing the original colonies and a star for each new state.

The current Mississippi state flag has been in use since April 23, 1894. It is the only US state flag that incorporates the Battle Flag of the Confederacy. Besides the Battle Flag in its canton, the flag also features equal red, white, and blue stripes.

“I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God.”
– Pledge to the Mississippi State Flag – Reference Miss. Code Ann., Section 37-13-7(1972)

During the Confederacy, two flags flew over Mississippi. On January 9, the date of Mississippi’s secession from the Union, the Bonnie Blue Flag was raised over the capitol in Jackson as a sign of independence. On January 26, what has become known as the “Magnolia Flag” was officially adopted – featuring the Bonnie Blue Flag in its canton, a magnolia tree in its center field, and a red vertical stripe to the right. The Magnolia Flag flew for 33 years before the current flag was adopted.

In 2000, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that state legislation passed in 1906 had in fact repealed the adoption of the flag, and that its status as the “official” flag was only so through custom and usage. The governor at the time put together an independent commission to create a new design for the flag. The chosen design removed the Confederate Battle Flag and replaced it with a blue canton with 20 stars – a ring of 13 representing the original colonies, a ring of 6 stars representing the six sovereign nations that at one time controlled Mississippi territory, and 1 larger star in the middle representing Mississippi itself. The 20 stars overall would also represent Mississippi’s place as the 20th state. The new flag was put to a vote and soundly defeated by a nearly 2-1 margin.