United States

The flag of the United States consists of thirteen horizontal stripes alternating red and white, with a blue canton with fifty 5-pointed stars. The proportions of the flag are 10:19.
==Symbolism==
The fifty stars represent the fifty states of the United States, and the thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies of the United States. The symbolism of the rest of the flag is unknown.
The colors of the flag are symbolic as well; red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.
Red, white, and blue are the colors of the flags of the United Kingdom and France, both of which are the United States' relationship countries.
==History==
File:Grand Union.svg|1775-1777
File:United States (1777).svg|1777-1795
File:United States (1795).svg|1795-1818
File:United States (1818).svg|1818-1819
File:United States (1819).svg|1819-1820
File:United States (1820).svg|1820-1822
File:United States (1822).svg|1822-1836
File:United States (1836).svg|1836-1837
File:United States (1837).svg|1837-1845
File:United States (1845).svg|1845-1846
File:United States (1846).svg|1846-1847
File:United States (1847).svg|1847-1848
File:United States (1848).svg|1848-1851
File:United States (1851).svg|1851-1858
File:United States (1858).svg|1858-1859
File:United States (1859).svg|1859-1861
File:United States (1861).svg|1861-1863
File:United States (1863).svg|1863-1865
File:United States (1865).svg|1865-1867
File:United States (1867).svg|1867-1877
File:United States (1877).svg|1877-1890
File:United States (1890).svg|1890-1891
File:United States (1891).svg|1891-1896
File:United States (1896).svg|1896-1908
File:United States (1908).svg|1908-1912
File:United States (1912).svg|1912-1959
File:United States (1959).svg|1959-1960
File:United States.svg|1960-present
The flag of the United States is the most frequently changed national flag in the world. There have been 28 different designs including the original Grand Union flag in 1775.
Every star on the flag represents an American state. Each time the United States adds a new state, the following July 4 will be the adoption date of the new flag with another star. This method of updating the flag has three major benefits:
#It gives the citizens of the United States time to buy new flags.
# It lets Congress decide on the official design.
# If more than one state is added in the same year, the country does not need to adopt an entirely new flag design.
===Betsy Ross flag===
The legendary Betsy Ross flag is the often supposed first flag of the United States (1775-1777), however, this conspiracy theory is unproven.
The legend states that George Washington, the first President of the newly independent united states of America, sent an order to Elizabeth Ross (now often called Betsy Ross) to sew a flag based on his flag design, which is the above design, except with six-pointed stars. Betsy first convinced George Washington that 5-pointed stars were better, and Washington begrudgingly accepted the idea. Betsy then sewed the flag, and presented it to Robert Morris, who took the flag to Washington to be adopted and flown. Many paintings accompany this legend, which all show the design as having 13 five-pointed stars in a ring.Betsy Ross at USFlag.org
Image:TheBirthoftheFlag.jpg|The Birth of the Flag by Charles Weisgerber, 1893.
Image:HHpaintingRoss.jpg|Walter Haskell Hinton's painting, 1950Washington School art
Image:TheBirthofOldGlory.jpg|The Birth of Old Glory
According to USFlag.org, most historians deny this legend, or myth, because no records were kept that any of this actually happened. One record indicates that Betsy was the official flagmaker for the Pennsylvania Navy, but no records exists of her sewing the first American flag.
==Presentation==
===Vertical flag===
The vertical of the United States is, unlike other vertical flags, not facing forwards, but is actually held so the blue canton with the 50 stars is in the top left corner. Always, when displaying the American flag, the canton should be on the top left, unless it is on a uniform.Hanging U.S. Flag Vertically at americanflags.com
Hanging a flag vertically with the canton on the right, when the nation is not in distress, would break the American Flag Code.Do's and Don'ts for Displaying Old Glory at defense.gov
===Etiquette===
Per the American Flag Code, a flag must be undamaged, unworn, and above the ground at all times. It is disrespectful to keep the American flag on the ground or floor, or in poor weather, where the flag could get damaged. The flag should stay in the light at all times, and lowered if a spotlight is not available.
==Colors== 
Color	Color Name 	HEX 	Color of
 	White 	#FFFFFF	The stars and certain stripes
 	"Old Glory" Red 	#B22234	Every other stripe
 	"Old Glory" Blue	#3C3B6E	The canton
== Nicknames==
*Stars and Stripes
*Grand Union (1775)
*Old Glory
*The Star Spangled Banner
==Trivia == 
*The flag of the United States is the most frequently changed national flag in the world, due to the fact that it adds a star for every new state.
*Liberia is the 1 out of 2 countries/states in which flag is inspired by the US flag, the other one being Texas.
*Due to the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, real estate organizations cannot restrict homeowners from displaying the flag.
*The United States has an entire set of rules and regulations related to their flag called flag code.
==Desecration==
In protests, it is not uncommon to see the American flag desecrated in protest. Sometimes, American flags are flown upside down or burnt.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Iranian_Protesters_Burning_USA_Flag.jpg
==See also== 
*United States/States
*United States/Cities and Towns
*Confederate States of America
==References==
Category:North America
Category:Proportions 10-19
Category:United States
Category:Stars and stripes
Category:Five-pointed stars
Category:Flags
Category:National flags
Category:British Colonies
Category:United Nations
Category:Blue
Category:White
Category:Red
Category:Stars
Category:Canton
Category:Stripes
de:Vereinigte Staaten
fr:États-Unis
es:Estados Unidos