The U.S. Flags
U.S. FLAGS FROM 1776 - TODAY
The Grand Union Flag is
also known as the
Continental Flag.
This flag combined
Britain’s flag and 13
stripes, representing
unity between the
thirteen colonies.
This flag was flown at
the forming of the
Continental Army on
New Year’s Day 1776.
Grand Union Flag
1775
Since there was no
official flag during the
first year of our country,
there were many
homespun flags.
Betsy Ross’ flag is the
most well known of
these flags.
According to Betsy Ross’
grandson, during the
Revolutionary War,
George Washington
asked her to sew a flag.
The flag had 13 fivepointed stars in a circle
on a blue background.
There were a total of 13
stripes: 7 red and 6
white.
The Betsy Ross Flag
1776
In 1777 Continental
Congress passed the Flag
Resolution, which
declared that the flag
would have 13 stars on a
blue background, and 13
stripes (red and white).
This flag became the first
official U.S. flag on June
14, 1777.
The 13 stars each had six
points.
Some historians believed
that the stars formed a
circle, while others believe
they may have been in
rows.
Each of the 13 stars and 13
stripes represented the 13
colonies.
Francis Hopkinson Flag
1777
This flag was raised by
Captain John Paul Jones
after the defeat of the
British Navy ship, the
Serapis. It is also
sometimes known as the
Serapis flag.
This flag is mostly blue,
since at the time blue
was considered the
national color.
There are 12 eight
pointed white stars and 1
seven pointed star.
There are 13 stripes,
blue, red, and white.
John Paul Jones Flag
1779
This flag has 13 red and
white stripes, a blue
canton, and 13 five
pointed stars in the
shape of an oval.
Some paintings show
gold stars instead of
white stars.
Pierre L’Enfant, the
architect for Washington
D.C., sketched this flag
for a diploma for
veterans of the
Revolutionary War.
Pierre L’Enfant Flag
1783
The U.S. government
often presented “peace
flags” to friendly Indian
nations.
The flags typically
displayed the U.S. coat
of arms.
There are 13 five pointed
stars in an arch above
the coat of arms.
There are 13 stripes (red
and write).
Indian Peace Flag
1803
During the War of 1812,
citizens of Easton, PA
presented this flag to
their First Company,
First Regiment.
The striped canton and
starry field reversed the
original placement of the
stars and stripes.
There were 13 stripes
(red and white), and 13
eight pointed stars.
Easton Flag
1812
During the War of 1812
Baltimore’s Fort McHenry
came under British fire. This
inspired Francis Scott Key
to write Star Spangled
Banner, which later became
the national anthem.
The Star Spangled Banner
has 15 five pointed stars,
and 15 stripes (red and
white).
The two additional stars and
stripes represented the
addition of Vermont and
Kentucky into the Union.
Parts of the original flag that
flew over Ft. McHenry was
given away by the family
that owned the flag. They
would give pieces of the flag
to people they felt deserving.
One of the stars is missing,
and its location is unknown.
Star Spangled Banner
1814
The design of this flag
was used to invoke a
feeling of nostalgia for
1776, the year the
Declaration of
Independence was
signed.
There are 13 stars and 13
stripes (red and white).
It is unknown exactly
when this flag was
designed, but it is
thought that it was flown
during the American
Revolution.
This flag is also unique
in that the colors of the
stripes alternate
white/red, instead of the
more traditional
red/white.
Bennington Flag
1820
This flag has a total of 26
five pointed stars in an
“upside down” star
formation. With the
larger stars in the
middle, moving out to
smaller stars on the
outside.
There are 13 stripes (red
and white).
Great Star Flag
1837
In 1847 one star was
added to the flag
representing Iowa. This
would bring the total
number of stars to 29.
The number of stripes
(red and white)
remained the same – 13,
for the original 13
colonies.
Sometimes this flag was
sewn showing the stars
in a diamond formation,
instead of the traditional
rows.
29 Star Flag
1847
This 33 star flag flew
over Ft. Sumter during
the Civil War. The flag
was surrendered at the
defeat of Ft. Sumter.
At the end of the Civil
War, the flag was
returned to Ft. Sumter
and raised again in
celebration of the Union
victory of the Civil War.
The stars represented
the states that were
added to the United
States, the last star
representing Oregon.
The five pointed stars
make a diamond
pattern.
Fort Sumter Flag
1861
This flag was unusual in
that the stars were sewn
to form the dates 1776 &
1876, to commemorate
the Centennial of
American independence.
There were 80 five
pointed stars used to
write the dates on the
flag. However, the date
1776, has 37 stars which
was the official number
of states in the America
at the time.
The number of stripes
(red and white)
represented the original
13 colonies.
Centennial Flag
1876
The 38 star flag, had 38
five pointed stars
representing the 38
states.
The stripes on the flag
represented the original
13 colonies.
38 Star Flag
1877
This flag had a total of
44 stars, represented the
number of states.
The five pointed stars
were arranged in rows,
with 8 stars in the top
and bottom row, and 7
stars on the 4 rows in
between.
It had 13 stripes (red and
white) representing the
original 13 colonies.
This flag was dedicated
to the search for world
peace.
Peace Flag
1891
This flag had 48 five
pointed stars arranged
in 6 rows with 8 stars in
each row.
Unlike other flags, the
stars are not staggered,
but are in straight
vertical and horizontal
rows.
This flag was official for
47 years, longer than any
other flag, through two
World Wars and the
emergence of the United
States of America as the
leading nation of the
world. Eight Presidents
served under this flag.
48 Star Flag
1912
The flag of the United
States consists of thirteen
equal horizontal stripes of
red (top and bottom)
alternating with white,
with a blue rectangle in
the canton.
There are 50 small, white,
five-pointed stars
arranged in nine offset
horizontal rows of six stars
(top and bottom)
alternating with rows of
five stars. The fifty stars
on the flag represent the
fifty U.S. states and the
thirteen stripes represent
the original 13 colonies.
Nicknames for the flag
include the Stars and
Stripes, Old Glory, and
The Star-Spangled
Banner .
50 Star Flag
1960
The Colors of the Flag
WHITE SIGNIFIES PURITY AND INNOCENCE,
RED, HARDINESS & VALOR, AND BLUE, THE
COLOR OF THE CHIEF.
THE STAR IS A SYMBOL OF THE HEAVENS
AND THE DIVINE GOAL TO WHICH MAN HAS
ASPIRED.
THE STRIPE IS SYMBOLIC OF THE RAYS OF
LIGHT EMANATING FROM THE SUN.