The Bonnie Blue Flag was first introduced as the flag of the short-lived Republic of West Florida in 1810, which became annexed by the United States 90 days after, and later became a banner of the Confederate States at the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. The flag consisted of a five-point star on a blue field. When Mississippi seceded from the Union, the Bonnie Blue Flag was flown from its capitol dome and other Southern states that seceded incorporated the motif of this flag into their new state flags. This flag was widely popularized as a symbol of the Confederacy thanks to a man named Harry Macarthy, who wrote the lyrics to the popular Southern patriot song "Bonnie Blue Flag" in early 1861.