William Tappan Thompson

For other people named William Thompson, see William Thompson (disambiguation).

William Tappan Thompson
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Born	William Tappan Thompson (1812-08-31)August 31, 1812 Ravenna, Ohio, U.S.
Died	Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Residence	Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Nationality	American (1812–1861) Confederate (1861–1865)
Occupation	Writer, editor
Organization	Savannah Daily Morning News
Known for	Helping to design the second Confederate national flag
Political party	Democratic

William Tappan Thompson (31 August 1812 – 24 March 1882) was an American writer who co-founded the Savannah Morning News in the 1850s, known then as the Daily Morning News. One of his most notable works was Major Jones's Courtship, an epistolary novel. Thompson's best-known fictional character was Major Joseph Jones.

Originally from Ohio, Thompson moved to Savannah, Georgia, where he co-founded the Daily Morning News and became an editor. During the American Civil War, he supported the Confederacy and its cause, helping to design the "Stainless Banner," which was used as the Confederacy's national flag from 1863 to 1865.

After the war ended, Thompson, a supporter of the Democrats, opposed the Republican Party's post-war efforts in the southern U.S. states, as well as the granting of civil rights to negroes.

Early life and education

Thompson was born on August 31, 1812, in Ravenna, Ohio.

Career

The second national flag of the Confederacy, which Thompson and William Ross Postell helped to design.

Upon moving to Savannah, Georgia, in the 1850s, he co-founded the Savannah Morning News. Thompson left the paper in 1867 to travel in Europe. In 1868, he returned, and the paper was renamed Savannah Daily Morning News for one edition, then was changed to the current name the following day.

Thompson supported the Confederacy during the American Civil War. In 1863, as the editor of the Morning News he proposed a design that would ultimately become the Confederacy's second national flag, which would be come to known as the "Stainless Banner", though he used a different name for the flag.

In a series of editorials, Thompson wrote why his flag's design should be chosen to represent the Confederacy:

As a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause.… Such a flag…would soon take rank among the proudest ensigns of the nations, and be hailed by the civilized world as THE WHITE MAN'S FLAG [sic].

In May 1863, a few days after his design was chosen by the Confederacy, Thompson applauded its decision, stating:

As a national emblem, it is significant of our higher cause, the cause of a superior race, and a higher civilization contending against ignorance, infidelity, and barbarism. Another merit in the new flag is, that it bears no resemblance to the now infamous banner of the Yankee vandals.

Late life and death

After the Civil War ended, Thompson, who was a fervent supporter of the Democrats, opposed the Republican Party's efforts for over taxation of the southern states. He died on March 24, 1882 in Savannah, Georgia.

See also

• Georgia in the American Civil War
• Flags of the Confederate States of America

External links

• William T. Thompson at the New Georgia Encyclopedia