With all the controversy surrounding the use of the Confederate flag, why did the U.S. government allow Southern states to use it on their flags in the first place. If I were the leader of a nation and a group of rebels revolted, or if my nation was at war with another nation and I came out the victor, I would do everything I could to squash resistance, including removing the symbol of said movement or nation. As I see it, the Confederacy were traitors to the United States, revolted, and lost. I don't understand why their flag was allowed to fly over several state capitals in the south.
The southern states did not continue to fly the various Confederate flags immediately after the war. Mississippi, Alabama and Florida adopted state flags incorporating elements of the Confederate flag in 1894, 1895 and 1900, respectively. Georgia did not join them until 1956, and South Carolina only began flying the battle flag in addition to the state flag in 1961. In the case of Georgia and South Carolina, the decision to raise the flag was basically a protest against the Civil Rights movement.
Ugh, sorry, I meant to say "Why did Lincoln..."