A 19th century flag disrupts leadership at an Illinois museum and prompts a state investigation – Associated Press/MSN

The flag, measuring 7-foot-5 by 6-foot-5, is known as a “Grand Luminary” because its 21 stars are arranged in the shape of a star. The museum is confident it represents Illinois’ admission as the 21st state, spokesperson Christopher Wills said. But a respected vexillologist, or flag expert, said its construction and materials indicate the flag was produced decades later, during the Civil War, and is perhaps a Southern exclusionary flag.