The controversy that exploded on social media yesterday over a supposed Confederate flag featured on websites across the federal government offers an important reminder of how misinformation is spread online.
I’ve worked as a government contractor on va.gov and several other sites. I’m a user experience designer. I can tell anyone for a fact that this icon is just that: a small graphical device used to connote meaning at a glance. The thing that this icon connotes? That a site is truly an official site of the U.S. government.
No, there’s not a secret cabal of Confederadoes surreptitiously signaling…something. No, there’s not a shadow government.
The silliness of Qanon on the right now seems to have its parallel on the left. It’s so exhausting to combat. As you say, Kevin, this ain’t one of them
Eighteen months ago I printed off copies of my Social Security application. I dug them out this morning. Sure enough, there was the nine star flag. It's not new.
Wish I had this information last night when I was talking to a reporter. I could have shared this story. It would have provided the nail in the coffin. Oh well. LOL
Thank you for observations and very well written. On a side note the original photograph of the Florida veterans is in my personal collection. Three of the gentlemen in the center of the picture are actually Union Civil War veterans, members of the Toledo Memorial Association. The gentleman on the left is a veteran of the 4th Florida infantry. The gentleman on the far right is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. These colors were presented to the Toledo Memorial Association by the survivors of the 111th Ohio Infantry regiment January 12, 1906. In an act of reconciliation the members of the association voted to return the captured colors to the Confederate Florida veterans. The photograph is the return of the flag of the 4th Florida infantry captured at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee by the 111th Ohio infantry on November 30, 1864. The photo was taken at a Confederate veterans reunion at Marianna, Florida September 26, 1927.
Thanks so much for taking the time to add context to that particular photo. I am sure that the Florida Memory site includes a description and I admit to not taking the time to fully explore it. All the best.
Thank you for writing and work as always Kevin. Appreciate your insight! I can't figure out how to share it but I snapped a good picture of a time line of Confederate (and Union) flags at Monocacy National Battlefield that shows exactly the flags you are describing to people. I'm sorry you had to deal with some nasty comments. But grateful for your piece on it and I did share with anyone curious!
I also agree and find it troubling how much attention and argument people are willing to give to this discussion when there are some ACTUAL alarming things going on with the new administration. I live in Wilmington, NC and here in 1898 a group of White supremacists successfully carried out a coup (so far the only successful one) on a local election and also carried out a massacre afterwards. I interpret that history as a tour guide and one of the last things I leave people with is "there doesn't have to be mass mayhem and violence in the streets, it doesn't have to look like the violence of 1898." That history, especially these past few months, has been all on my mind. Mainly the organization of the groups who orchestrated that event in 1898, the racial scapegoating in the media, the loyalty to White Supremacy. I know as historians we have to be careful when looking at the past and the present, but I do think that event in 1898 has some lessons that could be important today. I've definitely been inspired to write my own article on that topic. Not entirely sure how I want to end this comment but all in all, thanks again for your work!! As a young historian I'm always motivated and inspired by your work!!!
As one of the people who cited your article in a futile attempt to educate the chicken littles, I find this exhausting on so many levels. Even before I dug into the content, I had this creeping feeling that folks are just blindly chasing after the next shiny object, with no regard. I equate it to my cat chasing the red laser dot. The next thought was a deeper, more disturbing one: there wasn’t even an attempt to delude these people, yet, they were ready to hang someone for this “malicious act”. The rest of my thoughts followed along with yours, regarding misinformation, blind faith in face value with no attempt to reference and confirm, etc. Folks have trained themselves to Scroll & React, and as long-form content is becoming a lost art, so has reading and reasoning.
Yesterday was a powerful failure far beyond a need for a history lesson. It was an explanation of how we arrived at this point, politically, and a portent for a dark future.
The most frightening thing about all of this is that it is motivated by a real need to hold our elected leaders to account. There is a lot that we need to be focused on right now that involves the ability to sort fact from fiction, but what happens when well-meaning people can't even apply the necessary skills to something as benign as this?
Wow, I missed all the commotion, but sounds like folks may have confused the confederate 8 star flag (1861-1863) with the nine star one? Not identical stripes either, but similar.
When we in Mississippi were voting out our racist flag a few years ago, I remember the Stennis Flag under consideration, being rejected mostly for appearing so similar to that nine star flag & other actual racist flags.
I was new to the state & had to do a crash course on deceit & racism in the South when it comes to all these confederate flags they hoard. I’m still learning half a decade later btw.😂
Our new Mississippi flag we voted in rocked, until the Lt Governor chose to put religious words on it as his duty under “state law”. 🙄. That “gotta show em’ who’s in control” thing they keep trying to pull.
Thank you. I had to explain to people that this was not one all day yesterday and the amount of misinformation going around was not shocking but alarming nonetheless. This flag has been on the websites since at least 2023 looking at Way Back machine
Glad to hear that you found me through Heather's site. She is a good friend. In fact, we used to be in the same book writing group here in Boston. You will see her name in the acknowledgments section. I am a huge fan of her scholarship. Welcome aboard. Just for future reference, I don't hold a PhD.
I’ve worked as a government contractor on va.gov and several other sites. I’m a user experience designer. I can tell anyone for a fact that this icon is just that: a small graphical device used to connote meaning at a glance. The thing that this icon connotes? That a site is truly an official site of the U.S. government.
No, there’s not a secret cabal of Confederadoes surreptitiously signaling…something. No, there’s not a shadow government.
The silliness of Qanon on the right now seems to have its parallel on the left. It’s so exhausting to combat. As you say, Kevin, this ain’t one of them
Thanks, Joe.
Eighteen months ago I printed off copies of my Social Security application. I dug them out this morning. Sure enough, there was the nine star flag. It's not new.
Wish I had this information last night when I was talking to a reporter. I could have shared this story. It would have provided the nail in the coffin. Oh well. LOL
You could always email I guess.
Thank you for observations and very well written. On a side note the original photograph of the Florida veterans is in my personal collection. Three of the gentlemen in the center of the picture are actually Union Civil War veterans, members of the Toledo Memorial Association. The gentleman on the left is a veteran of the 4th Florida infantry. The gentleman on the far right is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. These colors were presented to the Toledo Memorial Association by the survivors of the 111th Ohio Infantry regiment January 12, 1906. In an act of reconciliation the members of the association voted to return the captured colors to the Confederate Florida veterans. The photograph is the return of the flag of the 4th Florida infantry captured at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee by the 111th Ohio infantry on November 30, 1864. The photo was taken at a Confederate veterans reunion at Marianna, Florida September 26, 1927.
The flag in the photograph is preserved in the Florida state archives in Tallahassee, Florida
Hi Richard,
Thanks so much for taking the time to add context to that particular photo. I am sure that the Florida Memory site includes a description and I admit to not taking the time to fully explore it. All the best.
Thank you for writing and work as always Kevin. Appreciate your insight! I can't figure out how to share it but I snapped a good picture of a time line of Confederate (and Union) flags at Monocacy National Battlefield that shows exactly the flags you are describing to people. I'm sorry you had to deal with some nasty comments. But grateful for your piece on it and I did share with anyone curious!
I also agree and find it troubling how much attention and argument people are willing to give to this discussion when there are some ACTUAL alarming things going on with the new administration. I live in Wilmington, NC and here in 1898 a group of White supremacists successfully carried out a coup (so far the only successful one) on a local election and also carried out a massacre afterwards. I interpret that history as a tour guide and one of the last things I leave people with is "there doesn't have to be mass mayhem and violence in the streets, it doesn't have to look like the violence of 1898." That history, especially these past few months, has been all on my mind. Mainly the organization of the groups who orchestrated that event in 1898, the racial scapegoating in the media, the loyalty to White Supremacy. I know as historians we have to be careful when looking at the past and the present, but I do think that event in 1898 has some lessons that could be important today. I've definitely been inspired to write my own article on that topic. Not entirely sure how I want to end this comment but all in all, thanks again for your work!! As a young historian I'm always motivated and inspired by your work!!!
As one of the people who cited your article in a futile attempt to educate the chicken littles, I find this exhausting on so many levels. Even before I dug into the content, I had this creeping feeling that folks are just blindly chasing after the next shiny object, with no regard. I equate it to my cat chasing the red laser dot. The next thought was a deeper, more disturbing one: there wasn’t even an attempt to delude these people, yet, they were ready to hang someone for this “malicious act”. The rest of my thoughts followed along with yours, regarding misinformation, blind faith in face value with no attempt to reference and confirm, etc. Folks have trained themselves to Scroll & React, and as long-form content is becoming a lost art, so has reading and reasoning.
Yesterday was a powerful failure far beyond a need for a history lesson. It was an explanation of how we arrived at this point, politically, and a portent for a dark future.
The most frightening thing about all of this is that it is motivated by a real need to hold our elected leaders to account. There is a lot that we need to be focused on right now that involves the ability to sort fact from fiction, but what happens when well-meaning people can't even apply the necessary skills to something as benign as this?
Indeed. The well-meaning folks become gullible to the odious ones, and they become ineffective even when motivated by the best intentions.
Wow, I missed all the commotion, but sounds like folks may have confused the confederate 8 star flag (1861-1863) with the nine star one? Not identical stripes either, but similar.
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_461713
When we in Mississippi were voting out our racist flag a few years ago, I remember the Stennis Flag under consideration, being rejected mostly for appearing so similar to that nine star flag & other actual racist flags.
I was new to the state & had to do a crash course on deceit & racism in the South when it comes to all these confederate flags they hoard. I’m still learning half a decade later btw.😂
Our new Mississippi flag we voted in rocked, until the Lt Governor chose to put religious words on it as his duty under “state law”. 🙄. That “gotta show em’ who’s in control” thing they keep trying to pull.
I am not sure. The photograph that is being shared has too many stripes. Confederate national flags had two red and one white stripe.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. I had to explain to people that this was not one all day yesterday and the amount of misinformation going around was not shocking but alarming nonetheless. This flag has been on the websites since at least 2023 looking at Way Back machine
Yep. It didn't take much effort at all to poke holes into this little conspiracy theory.
Glad to hear that you found me through Heather's site. She is a good friend. In fact, we used to be in the same book writing group here in Boston. You will see her name in the acknowledgments section. I am a huge fan of her scholarship. Welcome aboard. Just for future reference, I don't hold a PhD.