In January 1861, motivated by the nation's civil unrest, Alabama voted to secede from the Union. Several months later, the first Confederate flag was flown over the state capital. It was dubbed the Battle flag and had a blue cross of St. Andrew (an X-shaped cross or saltire) across a red field. When Alabama rejoined the Union in 1895, it needed to represent the new era with a new flag that still respected the old. The designers chose a square flag with a crimson-colored St. Andrew's cross on a pure white field. The colors symbolize courage and purity; the cross recalls the Battle Flag of the Confederacy.
Flag Adopted: 1895
Salute to the Flag: Flag of Alabama, I salute thee. To thee I pledge my allegiance, my service and my life.
State Nickname: The Cotton State
State Motto: We Dare Defend Our Rights
Area: 51,998 square miles
Approximate Population: 4 million
Capital: Montgomery
Largest City: Birmingham
Major Products: steel, chemicals, textiles, coal, cement, stone, petroleum, cotton, poultry, cattle
State Colors: Red and white
State Bird: Yellowhammer
State Tree: Southern Pine
State Flower: Camellia
