Why the Confederate Flag Made a 20th Century Comeback

The popularity of the Confederate battle flag today has more to do with the Civil Rights Movement than the Civil War.

Following the shooting at a predominately black church in Charleston, South Carolina, the state is considering removing the Confederate flag from its capitol. But how did it get there in the first place?

South Carolina's confederate flag hasn't been flying since the Civil War. The flag wasn’t prominently displayed in the South until southern politicians began using it in their campaigns; and South Carolina didn’t start flying the flag at its state capitol until 1962, a century after the war began.

We spoke with historian David Goldfield, author of Still Fighting the Civil War, about the flag’s revival.

The Confederate battle flag made its reappearance following the end of World War II. A group of southern states seceded from the Democratic

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