In 1861, eleven states in the southern United States of America ceded to the Union and war broke out between the Union and the Confederacy in April 1861 at the Battle of Fort Sumter. The main reason for the division between the Northern and Southern states was the long-standing debate over the enslavement of blacks. The war cost up to a million lives over 4 years and ended with the abolition of slavery in 1865 after Robert E. Lee's surrender at the Battle of Appomattox Court House. Due to the concept of slavery behind the flag, it is widely seen as a symbol of hate and is associated with white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There are many reasons why the Confederate flag is seen as a racist symbol. According to the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) “During the war, the Confederacy and its military forces used a variety of flags, but the flag that became most associated with the Confederacy was the so-called 'battle flag.' Organizations such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans adopted the flag as a symbol of Southern heritage, but Confederate soldiers who fought under it were connected to a campaign against President Lincoln's growing support for repealing the right to own slaves. The intent behind the Confederate campaign led to the flag becoming very popular among white supremacists in the 20th and 21st centuries.” The flag has been a symbol for white supremacists to unite for nearly 150 years since the founding of the Ku Klux Klan. The flag has been associated with numerous white supremacist groups, with the most notable group being the KKK. The same month slavery was abolished, several former Confederate soldiers met in Tennessee to form a group, “dedicated to resisting laws granting blacks the same rights as whites.” The Klan was known to carry out raids and lynchings, according to Britannica: "Dressed in robes and sheets designed to frighten superstitious blacks and to prevent identification by occupying federal troops, Klansmen whipped and killed freedmen and their white supporters in nocturnal raids". .” at the height of their powers, they had over 4 million registered members nationwide. The despicable actions carried out by the KKK clearly show the racist influence of the Confederacy due to its deep roots in the group. If such actions can be tied to the Confederacy, they can then be tied to their flag. The flag still has racist connotations in the modern era, with numerous hate crimes associated with the flag. The old ideology of white supremacy channeled by the flag still has a hold on the country and the people living in former slave states. Tragic hate crimes have been found to have an affiliation with the Confederacy and the flag. According to the Guardian “The debate was reignited in 2015 after Dylann Roof killed nine black people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. A photo soon emerged of him holding a Confederate flag. Even looking back two years ago, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was led by neo-Confederates and neo-Nazis. The Rally occurred due to the removal of Confederate monuments in the city. The event quickly turned violent, and sadly, James Fields, a white supremacist, drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, injuring 28 people and killing one, a 32-year-old woman named Heather Heyer. James Fields was sentenced to life in prison according to the Rolling Stones: "On Monday, James Fields, the neo-Nazi found guilty of the death of Heather Heyer and the wounding of.