Bonnie Blue Flag

The story of the Bonnie Blue Flag.
The Bonnie Blue Flag has an old and storied past. The flag was first raised in 1810 at the Spanish Fort in Baton Rouge as the flag of the short lived Republic of West Florida. The Republic of West Florida actually did not include Florida at all, but rather the southenmost counties of Alabama, the six coastal counties of Mississippi(Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, George, Stone, and Pearl River), and the Louisiana parishes of East Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Washington. The people of West Florida tired of Spanish rule, lead a rebellion against the Spanish and overthrew the government. They then formed a constitution and declared themselves the Free and Independent Republic of West Florida. The Republic then applied for statehood to the United States, but President Madison decided against this and annexed this republic into the Louisiana and Mississippi Territory thus ending the Republic of West Florida. The flag lay dormant for many years then in 1835, the largest group of volunteers who came to Texas to help the Texans fight for their independence was from Louisiana. They came and fought under the Bonnie Blue Flag of the former Republic of West Florida. The Bonnie Blue in turn served as the inspiration for the original Flag of Texas, known as the "Burnet Flag". The flag then resurfaced during the outbreak of the Civil War. In 1861 when Mississippi seceded from the Union the Bonnie Blue Flag was raised over the Capital Building in Jackson. An Irish immigrant then penned the words to the famous song " The Bonnie Blue Flag"
Hurray! Hurrah!
For Southern Rights, Hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a Single Star!
The flag is still used today to represent the south. But the flag also has other ties for example it was the inspiration for red star in the state of Californians flag, as Texas lone star flag, and led to the parish's in West Louisiana to be called the Florida parishes.

America

"America the Beautiful"
by Katherine Lee Bates




Oh beautiful, for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

Oh beautiful, for pilgrims' feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw;
Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!

Oh beautiful, for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
'Til all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine!

Oh beautiful, for patriot's dream
That sees beyond the years!
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!

What a place!
Have a Happy 4th!