A brief History of the American Flag
Did you know our flag used to have a pine tree on it? Yes, it’s true, in 1775 when the American Revolution broke out many colonists didn’t fight under a united flag. Instead we had many versions or regimental flags. One of the most famous is shown with a coiled rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me” while the most likely unknown was one with a pine tree and the phase “An Appeal to Heaven” on it.
The union jack flag was used in 1775 but after George Washington realized that using a flag that closely resembles that of our enemy probably wasn’t a good idea. And credit is giving to Betsy Ross who made the first American Flag in 1776 showing 13 stars for each of the 13 colonies and 13 of alternating red and white strips.
It was very uncommon for individuals to fly the American Flag until the Civil War broke out in 1861. This made the Stars and Strips suddenly popular symbol in the North.
But is wasn’t until William Howard Taft signed an executive order in 1912 that clarified what the American Flag should look like. In 1916 Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially establishing a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14, the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 but is wasn’t until 1949 when President Harry Truman signed legislation designating June 14 of each year as Nation Flag Day
Our flag consists of 13 alternating red and white strips representing the original colonies and 50 stars, one for each state in the union.
- Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777, stated, “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.”
- Act of January 13, 1794, provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.
- Act of April 4, 1818, provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state.
- Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912, established proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.
- Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959, provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.
- Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959, provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.
NUMBER OF STARS IN THE U.S. FLAG, AND ADDITIONAL STATES REPRESENTED
1777 TO PRESENT
Date of Flag | Additional states with date of entry into Union |
| 13 stars – 1777 to 1795 | Delaware (December 7, 1787) Pennsylvania (December 12, 1787) New Jersey (December 18, 1787) Georgia (January 2, 1788) Connecticut (January 9, 1788) Massachusetts (February 6, 1788) Maryland (April 28, 1788) South Carolina (May 23, 1788) New Hampshire (June 21, 1788) Virginia (June 25, 1788) New York (July 26, 1788) North Carolina (November 21, 1789) Rhode Island (May 29, 1790) |
| 15 stars – 1795 to 1818 | Vermont (March 4, 1791) Kentucky (June 1, 1792) |
| 20 stars – 1818 to July 3, 1819 | Tennessee (June 1, 1796) Ohio (March 1, 1803) Louisiana (April 30, 1812) Indiana (December 11, 1816) Mississippi (December 10, 1817) |
| 21 stars – July 4, 1819 to July 3, 1820 | Illinois (December 3, 1818) |
| 23 stars – July 4, 1820 to July 3, 1822 | Alabama (December 14, 1819) Maine (March 15, 1820) |
| 24 stars – July 4, 1822 to July 3, 1836 | Missouri (August 10, 1821) |
| 25 stars – July 4, 1836 to July 3, 1837 | Arkansas (June 15, 1836) |
| 26 stars – July 4, 1837 to July 3, 1845 | Michigan (Jan 26, 1837) |
| 27 stars – July 4, 1845 to July 3, 1846 | Florida (March 3, 1845) |
| 28 stars – July 4, 1846 to July 3, 1847 | Texas (December 29, 1845) |
| 29 stars – July 4, 1847 to July 3, 1848 | Iowa (December 28, 1846) |
| 30 stars – July 4, 1848 to July 3, 1851 | Wisconsin (May 29, 1848) |
| 31 stars – July 4, 1851 to July 3, 1858 | California (September 9, 1850) |
| 32 stars – July 4, 1858 to July 3, 1859 | Minnesota (May 11, 1858) |
| 33 stars – July 4, 1859 to July 3, 1861 | Oregon (February 14, 1859) |
| 34 stars – July 4, 1861 to July 3, 1863 | Kansas (January 29, 1861) |
| 35 stars – July 4, 1863 to July 3, 1865 | West Virginia (June 20, 1863) |
| 36 stars – July 4, 1865 to July 3, 1867 | Nevada (October 31, 1864) |
| 37 stars – July 4, 1867 to July 3, 1877 | Nebraska (March 1, 1867) |
| 38 stars – July 4, 1877 to July 3, 1890 | Colorado (August 1, 1876) |
| 43 stars – July 4, 1890 to July 3, 1891 | North Dakota (November 2, 1889) South Dakota (November 2, 1889) Montana (November 8, 1889) Washington (November 11, 1889) Idaho (July 3, 1890) |
| 44 stars – July 4, 1891 to July 3, 1896 | Wyoming (July 10, 1890) |
| 45 stars – July 4, 1896 to July 3, 1908 | Utah (January 4, 1896) |
| 46 stars – July 4, 1908 to July 3, 1912 | Oklahoma (November 16, 1907) |
| 48 stars – July 4, 1912 to July 3, 1959 | New Mexico (January 6, 1912) Arizona (February 14, 1912) |
| 49 stars – July 4, 1959 to July 3, 1960 | Alaska (January 3, 1959) |
| 50 stars – July 4, 1960 to present | Hawaii (August 21, 1959) |