During The War Between the States, did North Carolina have another flag? The first state flag ever adopted by North Carolina was designed soon after the legislature voted to leave the United States. It looks much like the current state flag, but with its colors reversed.

The original flag featured dark blue and white horizontal bars along the “fly” of the flag, with a red “union,” or field, running its entire width, along the left third of the flag. In the red field were one large white star, reminiscent of the single star of the Bonnie Blue flag, and two dates—May 20th 1775 and May 20th 1861.

Title: North Carolina Flag

The earlier date was the date of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, in which North Carolinians first stated their support for independence from Great Britain, though many historians doubt whether the document was authentic.

The latter date was the date North Carolina voted to leave the United States. It is impossible to ignore the symbolism of these two major political decisions being made on the same day, just 86 years apart.