The U.S. Flag on Independence Day, 1776:  The flag used by the colonies to indicate their new national status was the Continental Colors or Grand Union (or Cambridge or Congress) flag.  If flew from the Alfred on December 3, 1775, and near Washington's headquarters at Cambridge MA on January 2, 1776 [see Earl Williams, "What You Should Know about the American Flag", (Thomas Publ., Gettysburg PA, 1992)].

The First Official U.S. Flag:  On 1777 June 14 Congress adopted a resolution from the Marine Committee that the flag have thirteen stripes alternating red and white, with thirteen white stars in a blue field.  Francis Hopkinson is the only person who ever claimed to have designed (not made) the first "stars and stripes".  There is historical evidence that he designed it using six-pointed stars in a staggered row configuration (shown below).   The Flag Guys have posted the evidence for Hopkinson at this site:     http://www.flagguys.com/hop.html.

Betsy Ross's descendants claimed she made (not designed) the first U.S. flag, using a circular arrangement of five-pointed stars.  Independence Hall Association has posted the evidence for Ross at the following site:  
  http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagpcp.html

The "Betsy Ross" flag is well-known and well-loved around the world.  We salute both flags and both designers as proud symbols and staunch patriots of our young nation.

In 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes pattern for the national flag.  This would follow almost one year after the Declaration of Independence and more than a decade before the U.S. Constitution was finalized.

After Vermont and Kentucky became states in 1795, two more stars were added.   Two more stripes were also added.  It became clear that adding stripes would make construction of a flag difficult, so the number of stripes for later flags was returned to the original thirteen.

During the War of 1812 the base commander of Fort McHenry (in Baltimore MD) paid to have a huge flag made for the fort to show defiance to the British and to keep American spirits up during an expected British attack.  This flag is generally known as the Star-Spangled Banner from which Francis Scott Key was inspired to write our National Athem.  Please visit our pages on the Star Spangled Banner for more information on Francis Scott Key.

Other sites provide interesting history facts on the Flag of the United States also:

The California Society, Sons of the Revolution shows many interesting items of the Revolutionary War and the United States Flag.     http://www.srcalifornia.com/

Historic flags that have symbolized our nation since 1776 are displayed by the
  University of Oklahoma


Administered by the National Society's Americanism Committee