[ROCKLOBSTER]

And prior to the Civil War, I suppose the Stars and Stripes represented slavery, didn’t it?

No, it represented both sides.

[xzins]

No it didn’t because there were not two sides. Slavery was legal in the USA. Some states did not permit buying and selling within their borders, but they weren’t permitted to take slaves away from those who had them. Slaves visiting those states were not free.