Modern display of the Confederate battle flag

Although the Confederate States of America dissolved at the end of the American Civil War (1861–1865), its battle flag continues to be displayed as a symbol of white supremacy in the United States. This modern usage can be traced to the 1948 United States presidential election, when it was used by the Dixiecrats, southern Democrats who opposed civil rights for African Americans. Further display of the flag was largely a response to the civil rights movement and the passage of federal civil rights laws in the 1950s and 1960s.