Why the American Flag has 13 Stripes and 50 Stars

Why does the flag have thirteen stripes? What does it mean if you see a flag with 50 stars? Some of these questions are easier to answer than others, but all of them represent opportunities to explore the history and heritage behind the American flag.

1) The original flag had 13 stripes to represent the 13 colonies

The American flag has 13 stripes to represent the original thirteen colonies that became part of America. Each stripe on the flag stands for one of these colonies. The stripes were originally white but now they are red and white to represent their original colors. The American flag also contains 50 stars, one for each state in America.

2) The number of stars on the flag has changed as new states have joined the Union

The number of stars on the flag has changed as new states have joined the Union. The most recent change was in 1960 when Hawaii was admitted. There are now fifty stars on the American flag, representing the fifty states of America.

3) The current design of the flag was adopted in 1959

The American flag was adopted in 1959 as the official flag of the United States of America. The design was chosen by a committee chaired by then-US Army General, Omar Bradley. He later explained that he wanted to find a design that would be ‘a truly American flag’ rather than one bearing any resemblance to the then Soviet Union or any other foreign nation.

The committee went through more than 2,000 designs before they found their final choice of thirteen red and white stripes with fifty stars on a blue field.

4) There is one star for each state and each stripe represents a different colony

The American Flag was created in 1777 and is composed of thirteen stripes alternating between red and white, with a blue rectangle in the upper left corner containing fifty stars. The fifty stars represent each state, and one star is added for each new state that joins. There is one star for each state and each stripe represents a different colony.