Flag timeline Flag Timeline More flag resources Flag Timeline States and their dates of admission are shown in bold red. Starting in 1819, the updated flag becomes legal on the Fourth of July following the date of admission. 1775 American ships in New England waters flew a "Liberty Tree" flag in 1775. It shows a green pine tree on a white background, with the words, "An Appeal to Heaven." 1775 The Continental Navy used this flag, with the warning, "Don't Tread on Me," upon its inception. 1775 Forster flag. 1776 January 1 — The Grand Union flag (Continental Colors) is displayed on Prospect Hill. It has 13 alternate red and white stripes and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner (the canton). 1776 May — Betsy Ross reports that she sewed the first American flag 1777 Another 13-star flag, in the 3-2-3-2-3 pattern. 1777? Cowpens Flag. According to some sources, this flag was first used in 1777. It was used by the Third Maryland Regiment.

There was no official pattern for how the stars were to be arranged. The flag was carried at the Battle of Cowpens, which took place on January 17, 1781, in South Carolina. The actual flag from that battle hangs in the Maryland State House. 1777 Brandywine Flag. 1777 June 14 — Continental Congress adopts the following: Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.

Stars represent 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), and Rhode Island (May 29, 1790) 1779 John Paul Jones Flag, also called the Serapis Flag. 1781? The Guilford Flag. 1787 Captain Robert Gray carries the flag around the world on his sailing vessel (around the tip of South America, to China, and beyond). He discovered a great river and named it after his boat The Columbia.

His discovery was the basis of America's claim to the Oregon Territory. 1795 Flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes Vermont (March 4, 1791), Kentucky (June 1, 1792) 1803 Indian Peace Flag. 1814 September 14 — Francis Scott Key writes "The Star-Spangled Banner." It officially becomes the national anthem in 1931. 1814 Easton Flag.

1818 Flag with 20 stars and 13 stripes (it remains at 13 hereafter) Tennessee (June 1, 1796), Ohio (March 1, 1803), Louisiana (April 30, 1812), Indiana (December 11, 1816), Mississippi (December 10, 1817) 1819 Flag with 21 stars Illinois (December 3, 1818) 1820 Flag with 23 stars Alabama (December 14, 1819), Maine (March 15, 1820) first flag on Pikes Peak c. 1820-30 Bennington Flag. According to some accounts, this flag was flown at the Battle of Bennington. It is sometimes called the Fillmore Flag. The story goes that Nathaniel Fillmore took this flag home from the battlefield, and the flag was passed down through generations of Fillmores, including Millard, and today it can be seen at Vermont's Bennington Museum.

Most experts doubt this story and date the flag to about 1820-30. 1822 Flag with 24 stars Missouri (August 10, 1821) 1836 Flag with 25 stars Arkansas (June 15, 1836) 1837 Flag with 26 stars Michigan (Jan 26, 1837) 1837 Flag with 38 stars Colorado (August 1, 1876) 1877 38 Star Flag. 1889 Flag with 39 stars that never was! Flag manufacturers believed that the two Dakotas would be admitted as one state and so manufactured this flag, some of which still exist. It was never an official flag.

1890 Flag with 43 stars North Dakota (November 2, 1889), South Dakota (November 2, 1889), Montana (November 8, 1889), Washington (November 11, 1889), Idaho (July 3, 1890) 1891 Flag with 44 stars Wyoming (July 10, 1890) 1892 "Pledge of Allegiance" first published in a magazine called "The Youth's Companion," written by Francis Bellamy. 1896 Flag with 45 stars Utah (January 4, 1896) 1897 Adoption of State Flag Desecration Statutes — By the late 1800's an organized flag protection movement was born in reaction to perceived commercial and political misuse of the flag. After supporters failed to obtain federal legislation, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota became the first States to adopt flag desecration statutes. By 1932, all of the States had adopted flag desecration laws.

In general, these State laws outlawed: (i) placing any kind of marking on the flag, whether for commercial, political, or other purposes; (ii) using the flag in any form of advertising; and (iii) publicly mutilating, trampling, defacing, defiling, defying or casting contempt, either by words or by act, upon the flag. Under the model flag desecration law, the term "flag" was defined to include any flag, standard, ensign, or color, or any representation of such made of any substance whatsoever and of any size that evidently purported to be said flag or a picture or representation thereof, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and stripes in any number, or by which the person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag of the U.S. 1907 Halter v. Nebraska (205 U.S. 34) — The Supreme Court holds that although the flag was a federal creation, the States' had the authority to promulgate flag desecration laws under their general police power to safeguard public safety and welfare.

Halter involved a conviction of two businessmen selling "Stars and Stripes" brand beer with representations of the U.S. flag affixed to the labels. The defendants did not raise any First Amendment claim. 1908 Flag with 46 stars Oklahoma (November 16, 1907) 1909 Robert Peary places the flag his wife sewed atop the North Pole. He left fragments of it as he traveled north. Ref 1912 June 24, President Taft signs Executive Order which establishes proportions of the flag and specifies arrangement and orientation of the stars. 1912 Flag with 48 stars New Mexico (January 6, 1912), Arizona (February 14, 1912) 1931 Stromberg v. California (283 U.S. 359) — The Supreme Court finds that a State statute prohibiting the display of a "red flag" as a sign of opposition to organized government unconstitutionally infringed on the defendant's First Amendment rights. Stromberg represents the Court's first declaration that "symbolic speech" is protected by the First Amendment.

1942 Federal Flag Code (36 U.S.C. 171 et seq.) — On June 22, 1942, President Roosevelt approves the Federal Flag Code, providing for uniform guidelines for the display and respect shown to the flag. The Flag Code does not prescribe any penalties for non-compliance nor does it include any enforcement provisions, rather it functions simply as a guide for voluntary civilian compliance. 1943 West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette (319 U.S. 624) — The Supreme Court holds that public school children could not be compelled to salute the U.S. flag. In a now famous passage, Justice Jackson highlighted the importance of freedom of expression under the First Amendment: Freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order. If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion or other matters of opinion.

1945 The flag that flew over Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, is flown over the White House on August 14, when the Japanese accepted surrender terms. 1949 August 3 — Truman signs bill requesting the President call for Flag Day (June 14) observance each year by proclamation. 1954 By act of Congress, the words "Under God" are inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance 1959 Flag with 49 stars Alaska (January 3, 1959) 1960 Flag with 50 stars Hawaii (August 21, 1959) 1962 In the case Engel v. Vitale, the court decides that government-directed prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, a violation of the Establishment Clause. This case is relevant to the flag in that it set a precedent for debate over use of the phrase "under God" which was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. 1963 Flag placed on top of Mount Everest by Barry Bishop. 1968 Adoption of Federal Flag Desecration Law (18 U.S.C.

700 et seq.) — Congress approves the first federal flag desecration law in the wake of a highly publicized Central Park flag burning incident in protest of the Vietnam War. The federal law made it illegal to "knowingly" cast "contempt" upon "any flag of the United States by publicly mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning or trampling upon it." The law defined flag in an expansive manner similar to most States. 1969 July 20 — The American flag is placed on the moon by Neil Armstrong. 1969 Street v. New York (394 U.S. 576) — The Supreme Court holds that New York could not convict a person based on his verbal remarks disparaging the flag. Street was arrested after he learned of the shooting of civil rights leader James Meredith and reacted by burning his own flag and exclaiming to a small crowd that if the government could allow Meredith to be killed, "we don't need no damn flag." The Court avoided deciding whether flag burning was protected by the First Amendment, and instead overturned the conviction based on Street's oral remarks. In Street, the Court found there was not a sufficient governmental interest to warrant regulating verbal criticism of the flag.

1972 Smith v. Goguen (415 U.S. 94) — The Supreme Court holds that Massachusetts could not prosecute a person for wearing a small cloth replica of the flag on the seat of his pants based on a State law making it a crime to publicly treat the flag of the United States with "contempt." The Massachusetts statute was held to be unconstitutionally "void for vagueness." 1974 Spence v. Washington (418 U.S. 405) — The Supreme Court holds that the State of Washington could not convict a person for attaching removable tape in the form of a peace sign to a flag. The defendant had attached the tape to his flag and draped it outside of his window in protest of the U.S. invasion of Cambodia and the Kent State killings. The Court again found under the First Amendment there was not a sufficient governmental interest to justify regulating this form of symbolic speech. Although not a flag burning case, this represented the first time the Court had clearly stated that protest involving the physical use of the flag should be seen as a form of protected expression under the First Amendment.

1970-1980 Revision of State Flag Desecration Statutes — During this period legislatures in some 20 States narrow the scope of their flag desecration laws in an effort to conform to perceived Constitutional restrictions under the Street, Smith, and Spence cases and to more generally parallel the federal law (i.e., focusing more specifically on mutilation and other forms of physical desecration, rather than verbal abuse or commercial or political misuse). 1989 Texas v. Johnson (491 U.S. 397) — The Supreme Court upholds the Texas Court of Criminal appeals finding that Texas law — making it a crime to "desecrate" or otherwise "mistreat" the flag in a way the "actor knows will seriously offend one or more persons" — was unconstitutional as applied. This was the first time the Supreme Court had directly considered the applicability of the First Amendment to flag burning.

Gregory Johnson, a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, was arrested during a demonstration outside of the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas after he set fire to a flag while protestors chanted "America, the red, white, and blue, we spit on you." In a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Brennan, the Court first found that burning the flag was a form of symbolic speech subject to protection under the First Amendment. The Court also determined that under United States v. O'Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968), since the State law was related to the suppression of freedom of expression, the conviction could only be upheld if Texas could demonstrate a "compelling" interest in its law. The Court next found that Texas' asserted interest in "protecting the peace" was not implicated under the facts of the case. Finally, while the Court acknowledged that Texas had a legitimate interest in preserving the flag as a "symbol of national unity," this interest was not sufficiently compelling to justify a "content based" legal restriction (i.e., the law was not based on protecting the physical integrity of the flag in all circumstances, but was designed to protect it from symbolic protest likely to cause offense to others).

1989 Revision of Federal Flag Desecration Statute — Pursuant to the Flag Protection Act of 1989, Congress amends the 1968 federal flag desecration statute in an effort to make it "content neutral" and conform to the Constitutional requirements of Johnson. As a result, the 1989 Act sought to prohibit flag desecration under all circumstances by deleting the statutory requirement that the conduct cast contempt upon the flag and narrowing the definition of the term "flag" so that its meaning was not based on the observation of third parties. 1990 United States v. Eichman (496 U.S. 310) — Passage of the Flag Protection Act results in a number of flag burning incidents protesting the new law. The Supreme Court overturned several flag burning convictions brought under the Flag Protection Act of 1989. The Court holds that notwithstanding Congress' effort to adopt a more content neutral law, the federal law continued to be principally aimed at limiting symbolic speech.

1990 Rejection of Constitutional Amendment — Following the Eichman decision, Congress considers and rejects a Constitutional Amendment specifying that "the Congress and the States have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." The amendment failed to muster the necessary two-thirds Congressional majorities, as it was supported by only a 254 — 177 margin in the House (290 votes were necessary) and a 58 — 42 margin in the Senate (67 votes were necessary). 1995 December 12 — The Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment is narrowly defeated in the Senate. The Amendment to the Constitution would make burning the flag a punishable crime. 2001 September 11 — The Flag from the World Trade towers survives and becomes a symbol of sacrifice in service, loss, and determination. 2002 June 26 — The 9th U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals in California declares that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional because "under God" (inserted into the Pledge in 1954) was a violation of the Establishment Clause, that expression not create the reasonable impression that the government is sponsoring, endorsing, or inhibiting religion generally, or favoring or disfavoring a particular religion. This ruling was reconfirmed in February 2003, and applies only to the 9th Circuit (the following districts: Alaska, Arizona, Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Eastern and Western Washington, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands). (See 2010) 2004 June 14 — The Supreme Court declines to hear a case challenging "One nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. "While the court did not address the merits of the case, it is clear that the Pledge of Allegiance and the words 'under God' can continue to be recited by students across America," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice.

2005 January 25 — Constitutional amendment, sponsored by Rep. Duke Cunningham, introduced. It reads simply, "The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." June 22 — The Constitutional amendment (see above) is approved by the House (vote of 286-130). It requires Senate approval. Then it must receive approval from 38 states within seven years. 2006 June 28 — The Senate is one vote short of passing the Constitutional amendment (see above). 2006 July 19 — H.R.42 is passed, preventing condominiums or residential real estate management associations from forbidding the flying of the US flag. Read full law 2010 The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California declares that the phrase "under God" in the Pledge is constitutional.

The majority decision states, “The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our Republic was founded.” It states later, "Coercion to engage in a patriotic activity, like the Pledge of Allegiance, does not run afoul of the Establishment Clause." (See 2002) Read decision [pdf] ???? History of Stars & Stripes | Flag Code.us History of Stars & Stripes The flag has been changed 26 times since the new, 13-state union adopted it. The Stars and Stripes originated as a result of a resolution adopted by the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia on June 14, 1777. The resolution read: “Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation. “ The resolution gave no instruction as to how many points the stars should have, nor how the stars should be arranged on the blue union. Consequently, some flags had stars scattered on the blue field without any specific design, some arranged the stars in rows, and some in a circle.

The first Navy Stars and Stripes had the stars arranged in staggered formation in alternate rows of threes and twos on a blue field. Other Stars and Stripes flags had stars arranged in alternate rows of four, five and four. Some stars had six points while others had eight. Strong evidence indicates that Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was responsible for the stars in the U.S. flag. At the time that the flag resolution was adopted, Hopkinson was the Chairman of the Continental Navy Board’s Middle Department. Hopkinson also helped design other devices for the Government including the Great Seal of the United States. For his services, Hopkinson submitted a letter to the Continental Admiralty Board asking “whether a Quarter Cask of the public Wine will not be a proper & reasonable Reward for these Labours of Fancy and a suitable Encouragement to future Exertions of a like Nature.” His request was turned down since the Congress regarded him as a public servant. An Early Stars and Stripes During the Revolutionary War, several patriots made flags for our new Nation. Among them were Cornelia Bridges, Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross, and Rebecca Young, all of Pennsylvania, and John Shaw of Annapolis, Maryland.

Although Betsy Ross, the best known of these persons, made flags for 50 years, there is no proof that she made the first Stars and Stripes. It is known that she made flags for the Pennsylvania State Navy in 1777. The flag popularly known as the “Betsy Ross flag,” which arranged the stars in a circle, did not appear until the early 1790′s. The claims of Betsy Ross were first brought to the attention of the public in 1870 by one of her grandsons, William J. Canby. In a paper he read before the meeting of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Canby stated: “It is not tradition, it is report from the lips of the principal participator in the transaction, directly told not to one or two, but a dozen or more living witnesses, of which I myself am one, though but a little boy when I heard it. . . . Colonel Ross with Robert Morris and General Washington, called on Mrs.

Ross and told her they were a committee of Congress, and wanted her to make a flag from the drawing, a rough one, which, upon her suggestions, was redrawn by General Washington in pencil in her back parlor. This was prior to the Declaration of Independence. I fix the date to be during Washington’s visit to Congress from New York in June, 1776 when he came to confer upon the affairs of the Army, the flag being no doubt, one of these affairs.” American Flag History [Timeline] American Flag History [Timeline] -1518 A Brief look at the History of the American Flag Since the year 1777 the American Flag, a.k.a. Old Glory, has symbolized the strength and unity of the United States of America. Over the past 235 years the design of the American Flag has been officially modified 26 times. These modifications, however, have not changed the sense of pride and inspiration it provides the citizens of its origin. The American Flag is an icon of this Nation’s past, present, and future. The American Flag History below are some of the highlights of its unique past.

January 1, 1776 – At the time of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress would not legally adopt flags with “stars, white in a blue field” for another year. The flag contemporaneously known as “the Continental Colors” has historically been referred to as the first national flag. It had 13 alternate red and white stripes and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner (the canton). The Continental Colors May of 1776 – Betsy Ross announces she sewed the first American Flag. This flag’s famous design featured 13 outwardly-oriented five-pointed stars arranged in a circle. Although the Betsy Ross legend is controversial, the design is among the earliest 13-star flags. Popular designs at the time were varied and most were individually crafted rather than mass-produced. The Betsy Ross Flag June 14, 1777 – the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution which stated: “Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” Flag Day is now observed on June 14 of each year.

While scholars still argue about this, tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June of 1777 by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment. The Flag Resolution did not specify any particular arrangement, number of points, nor orientation for the stars. Despite the 1777 resolution, a number of flags only loosely based on the suggested arrangement were used in the early years of American independence. It is likely that Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, designed the 1777 flag while he was the Chairman of the Continental Navy Board’s Middle Department. This happened sometime between his appointment to that position in November 1776 and the time that the flag resolution was adopted in June 1777. Which contradicts the Betsy Ross legend, that suggests that she sewed the first Stars and Stripes flag by request of the government in the spring of 1776.

The Francis Hopkinson Flag 1777 to 1960 – Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed for additional stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state. January 13, 1794 – An Act provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795 (to reflect the entry of Vermont and Kentucky as states of the union). April 4, 1818 – a plan was passed by Congress at the suggestion of U.S. Naval Captain Samuel C. Reid in which the flag was changed to have 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, signed by President Monroe. June 24, 1912 – Executive Order of President Taft 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. January 3, 1959 -Flag with 49 stars.

Executive Order of President Eisenhower provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically. August 21, 1959 – Flag with 50 stars. That same year another Executive Order of President Eisenhower provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically. 15-star, 15-stripe Star Spangled Banner Flag 48-star flag was the second longest in use (1912–1959) Click to view the historical progression of the American Flag designs . Today – the flag is composed of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating and six white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice. Today, the flag of the United States is one of the nation’s most widely recognized symbols. Old Glory has fought be the sides of American soldiers for over 200 years and more than 40 years later it still stands on the moon .

The flag has become a powerful symbol of Americanism, and is proudly flown on many occasions. Future American Flags – The addition of a 51st state would require a new design to accommodate the additional star. Below are three options of what the future flag might look like. flag of the United States of America | Britannica.com Flag of the United States of America Written By: See Article History Alternative Titles: Old Glory, Star-Spangled Banner, Stars and Stripes national flag consisting of white stars (50 since July 4, 1960) on a blue canton with a field of 13 alternating stripes, 7 red and 6 white. The 50 stars stand for the 50 states of the union, and the 13 stripes stand for the original 13 states. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 10 to 19. Related Topics Betsy Ross After the American Revolution began, the first unofficial national flag—known as the Continental Colours (or, incorrectly, as the Grand Union Flag or the Cambridge Flag)—was hoisted at Prospect Hill in Charlestown (now in Somerville, Mass.) on Jan.

1, 1776; it was raised, it appears, at the behest of Gen. George Washington , whose headquarters were nearby. The flag had 13 horizontal stripes (probably of red and white or of red, white, and blue) and, in the canton, the first version of the British Union Flag ( Union Jack ). It was used at forts and on naval vessels. Another popular early flag, that of the Sons of Liberty , had the 13 stripes only. The various 18th-century “Don’t Tread on Me” flags had only local significance, but in the 20th century such designs were popularized by political protesters. The first official national flag, formally approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, was the Stars and Stripes. The blue canton was to contain 13 stars, but the layout of the stars was left undefined, and several patterns are known.

The designer of the flag, Congressman Francis Hopkinson , may have had a ring of stars in mind to symbolize (in the words of the flag law) “a new constellation.” Today that pattern is popularly known as the “ Betsy Ross flag,” although the claims of her descendants that she made the first Stars and Stripes and that she used the ring pattern are unsubstantiated. Rows of stars (4-5-4 or 3-2-3-2-3) were common, but other variations also existed. The new Stars and Stripes formed part of the military colours carried on Sept. 11, 1777, at the Battle of the Brandywine , perhaps its first such use. Similar Topics flag of the Confederate States of America The Stars and Stripes changed on May 1, 1795, when two more stars and two more stripes were added to reflect the admission to the union of Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792).

(One such flag was the 1,260-square-foot [117-square-metre] “Star-Spangled Banner,” made by Mary Pickersgill, that Francis Scott Key saw at Fort McHenry in September 1814, inspiring his patriotic poem .) In 1818, after five more states had been admitted, Congress enacted legislation pertaining to a new flag, requiring that henceforth the number of stripes should remain 13, the number of stars should always match the number of states, and any new star should be added on the July 4 following a state’s admission. This has been the system ever since. In all, from 1777 to 1960 (after the admission of Hawaii in 1959) there were 27 versions of the flag—25 involving changes in the stars only. An executive order of Oct. 29, 1912, standardized the proportions and relative sizes of the elements of the flag; in 1934 the exact shades of colour were standardized. There is no official assignment of meaning or symbolism to the colours of the flag.

However, Charles Thomson , secretary of the Continental Congress, in describing the proposed Great Seal, suggested the following symbolism: “White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue…signifies vigilence, perseverence [sic] & justice.” As with many other national flags, the Stars and Stripes has long been a focus of patriotic sentiment . Millions of children have traditionally recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag at the start of each school day, and the lyrics of the national anthem are also concerned with the flag. Some veterans’ groups have pressured legislators to adopt laws or a constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration, but such legislation has been opposed on the grounds that it would infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent During the American Civil War , the Confederate States of America began to use its first flag, the Stars and Bars, on March 5, 1861. Soon after, the first Confederate Battle Flag was also flown. The design of the Stars and Bars varied over the following two years. On May 1, 1863, the Confederacy adopted its first official national flag, often called the Stainless Banner.

A modification of that design was adopted on March 4, 1865, about a month before the end of the war. In the latter part of the 20th century, many groups in the South challenged the practice of flying the Confederate Battle Flag on public buildings, including some state capitols. Proponents of the tradition argued that the flag recalled Southern heritage and wartime sacrifice, whereas opponents saw it as a symbol of racism and slavery, inappropriate for official display. The “Southern Cross” version of the Confederate Battle Flag. The Stainless Banner, first official national flag of the Confederate States of America. Historical Flags of Our Ancestors - The Many Constellations of Old Glory Note: If an image ever fails to appear - refresh your page, it really is there The Many Constellations of Old Glory Although the star pattern used in the canton of the Stars and Striped flag of the United States of American normally has been arranged in horizontal lines, sometimes staggered and sometimes not, there have been a variety of un-official designs also used over the years as new stars were added to Old Glory. Enjoy a walk through the many constellations of Old Glory below. 13-Star Flag The Ft.

Harmar Flag 1786 The Congress, created by the Articles of Confederation, ordered Fort Harmar built in 1784. Colonel Josiah Harmar was dispatched to the Ohio frontier with orders to discourage illegal settlers from moving into Ohio. In 1785, Harmar ordered the construction of Fort Harmar at the junction of the Ohio River and the Muskingum River, near near present day Marietta. During construction a crude drawing was made of the walls, probably by workmen, which showed this flag. It is of interest because the five-pointed stars, placed in a 4-5-4 pattern, were placed in a 45º diagonal angle. Strangely enough, rather than discouraging squatters, the fort encouraged settlement because the settlers believed Harmar's troops would protect them from Native American attacks. In 1789, the Treaty of Fort Harmar, was sign between the United States and the Six Nation federation (Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Chippewa, Potawatomi and Sauk) who met with Northwest Territory Governor Arthur St. Clair at Fort Harmar.

Unfortunately, the new treaty didn't stop the violence which continued for another six years, until the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The Treaty of Greenville (1795) forced the tribes to give up most of what is now the state of Ohio. 14-Star US Flag The Nathan Beman Flag 1791 This rare flag is one of only a very few known United States flags displaying 14 stars, representing Vermont�s admission as the 14th state in 1791. This flag only had 10 stripes and appears to have been a parade and rally flag that was originally given as a gift to Nathan Beman, one of Ethan Allen�s "Green Mountain Boys," at some time between 1795 and 1815. Nathan Beman assisted Ethan Allen during the surprise attack and capture of Fort Ticonderoga. It was the capture of its cannons and the eventual delivery to Dorchester Heights in Boston that allowed Washington to beat the British and win Boston in the early days of the Revolution.

16-Star US Flag The Unofficial 16-Star US Flag 1796 Although the star pattern used in the canton of this Stars and Striped flag has been arranged in normal horizontal lines, it is shown here because this is an example of an unofficial variant of a flag that never existed! In 1795, the United States flag law had changed to have the flag go from 13 stars and stripes to 15 stars and stripes, however, no provision was made for recognizing the entry of new States into the union, or a standard process of how to change the flag design when this happened. Therefore, in 1796, when Tennessee entered as the 16th State, the flag wasn't changed as Congress discussed the problem. Many times flag makers simply ignored the fact that a stars and stripped flag using a certain number of stars must be made official by the Congress of the United States by resolution, and simply made new flags before the fact. After the 15 stars resolution, there was no "approved" change in the flag until 20 states were made in 1818. Hence, "officially" this flag didn't exist.

17-Star US Flag The Colrain School House Flag 1812 In 1812, a 17-star US Flag was first raised over a school house on Catamount Hill in Colrain, Massachusetts. It wasn't until after the Civil War that flying the flag at schools and other public buildings became a general practice. Flying this hand-made 16-star flag was, as far as we know, the first known instance of a flag being flown at a school house, and predates the Civil War by almost 50 years. This may be yet another flag first for the State of Massachusetts to add to their impressive list of first. 20-Star US Flag The "Great Star" Flag 1818 Although, not an "official" flag design, this 20-star flag flew over the Capitol dome for six months in 1818. There have been many suggested "Great Star" designs like this one over the years. Flags whose stars form a larger star are called either "Great Star" flags or "Grand Luminary" flags. The terms are interchangeable.

The first of these Grand Luminary designs, proposed in 1818, that most people know about was the Peter Wendover/Samuel Reid's proposal to have the U.S. Flag bear the stars in a "Great Star" pattern for use on land and on private ships, but to use rows for the navy. Congress did not accept this idea; in fact, Congress purposely did not specify how the stars were to be arranged at that time. 20-Star US Flag Star Cluster Stars and Stripes 1818 Another "Grand Luminary" flag designs seen in 1818 was the Star Cluster design shown here where the Great star was custered tightly together. 17-Star US Flag 37-Star Bunting Company Flag Many U.S. Army garrison flags were made by the US Bunting Company. Benjamin Butler, a US Civil War General and Congressman from Massachusetts, was an owner of the US Bunting Co. located in Lowell, Mass. After the Civil War ended, his company developed a patented method for resist-dyeing wool to make flags and Butler eventually got the US Congress to pass a law giving preference to US made bunting when buying flags for the government.

Since his company was the only one making wool bunting in the United States, this was definitely an advantage for the company. His Company stayed in business up to the early 1890s. 31-Star US Flag The 31-Star Great Star Flag 1851 This "Grand Luminary" design was a very poplar one with the general public, but was not made official in 1851. The military never used this flag design, but it was popular with civilians. In the case of this Grand Luminary, California was admitted into the Union in 1850, and according to the provisions in the Compromise of 1850, since California was a Free State (no slavery), another slave state had to be admitted to keep the balance, thus the 31-Star design. 31-Star US Flag Concentric Circle Design, or "Lincoln Campaign" Flag 1850 Another popular non-military 31-Star design is sometimes called the "Lincoln Campaign Flag." Abe Lincoln served as a United States Congressman between 1847 and 1849. He was, however, not reelected in 1848.

He then campaigned again for his old seat in 1850, which is when this flag was used, from just after the admission of California, but before the official addition of their star to the flag, until the official one was approved. Lincoln lost this election and another in 1858 to Stephen Douglas, but was elected President in 1860. The design has the stars arranged with one in the center and two concentric rings of stars and one in each corner. The pattern used here became popular during the Civil War until the late 1800s. 31-Star US Flag Full Canton Design 1851 Another example of a tribute to our First Centennial shows in this attempt to plan the size of the stars so that they fill as much of the blue canton as possible. The result is almost a random looking star pattern with no clear horizontal rows.

(Personally, I always considered this a grownup version of the Colrain School House Flag of 1812, but I digress...) 33-Star US Flag The 33-Star Great Star Design 1859 Although never an official version of the United States flag, this very popular variant design was proudly displayed by many patriotic Americans. It was never officially used by the military or any government organization. It should be noted here that Congress had never made any regulation about what type of star pattern should be used on the "official" United States flag. Therefore, any pattern was acceptable. The Navy regulated the star pattern on their "boat" flags to horizontal rows, but the Army and civil government did not. This explains the many different star patterns. 33-Star US Flag The Fort Sumter Diamond Flag 1861 The 33-Star garrison flag that flew over Fort Sumter is sometimes called "the flag that started a war." The fort's commander was Major Anderson when the first shots of the American Civil War were fired in Charleston harbor. He surrendered to the Southern forces under General Beauregard after three days of token resistance. The only two casualties of the fighting were two Confederate privates killed when their cannon accidentally exploded.

Ever since the Mexican-American War (about 1845) the Army had followed an unofficial tradition of using a "diamond" pattern for the stars on their garrison flags. The Fort Sumter flag is a good example of this practice. 34-Star US Flag Thirteen/Thirty-Four Flag 1861 The year 1861 saw many unusual and interesting flag designs marketed. This one attempted to honor the original and traditional 13 states by enlarging their stars among the scattered thirty-four states in the Union at that time. 34-Star US Flag Phalanx Design Flag 1861 The unusual length of the field of stripes indicates that this great standard was probably a naval flag. The pattern is basically a square "phalanx" of militarily aligned stars, with two independent "leaders" at left, and two "stragglers" at right. The result of this arrangement is a striking and very likely unique interpretation of the theme. The 34-Star US Flag The 34 Star Great Flower Design 1861 The "Great Flower"" flag, also known as "The Candy Stripe"" flag because of the red and white "candy stripe" running down the left side.

Five asymmetric petal shapes loop out from the off-center heart of a graceful "Great Flower" pattern of thirty-four stars. The designer and locations that used this 1861-1863 flag are unknown. 34-Star US Flag The 34-Star Cluster Design 1861 This clever variant had five clusters of six stars each with the final four stars being centered on the top, sides and bottom. The five clusters of stars form a Saint Andrew's Cross and the four single stars form a Saint George's Cross. Because of this, this design was also called the "Great Cross" Flag. 34-Star Round New Jersey Regimental Flags 1861 These national presentation colors were manufactured by the Evans & Hassall Company of Philadelphia for all the Union New Jersey regiments after 1863. This design is very reminiscent of the Concentric Circle Design Flag of 1851 and became a popular method of arranging the increasing number of stars as the nation grew. 36-Star US Flag 36 Star Wagoon Wheel Design 1865 This "Wagon Wheel" design is another sample of a circle of stars with an inner design.

A close look will reveal a circle of stars within the outer circle with a five-point "star cluster" in the middle. It was also a favorite naval pattern well into the 19th century. 36-Star US Flag 36 Star Garrison 1865 This unusual, almost squarish flag, with a rather mixed 4-6-5-6-5-6-4 staggered pattern in the canton makes it a rather hard flag to label. Although this flag was not used widely, there are a few confirmed uses as a garrison flag during the Civil War. A "Post Flag" is a large flag flown at military forts and posts. With a ratio of about 1:2, they measure about 8 feet by 17 feet. A "Garrison Flag" is larger and only flown usually on special days with measurements of 20 feet by 38 feet. 36-Star US Flag The "Windblown" Stars Flag 1865 The "Windblown Flag" of thirty-six stars was once the possession of Civil War veteran, Louis Bernard, later a pioneer in Oregon.

The canton's illusionistic design that appears to taper at one end, creates the impression that the flag is in motion - or "windblown" - even when at rest, as shown here. This flag is especially interesting and fun because the human mind will spend time trying to find patterns and designs within the star pattern, enjoy the ride... 37-Star US Flag The "Medallion" Centennial Flag 1867 The so-called "Medallion" Centennial Flag of 1867, would become one of many that were made to celebrate the upcoming First Centennial in 1876. With its "Betsy Ross" circle of 13 stars are in the inner ring to identify the original 13 colonies, and an outer circle of 24 stars to identify the states that have joined the union since that time, this flag was a natural choice for the event. 38-Star US Flags Oval as depicted on stamp The Concentric Circle Designs of 1877 In 1877, one star was added to the United States flag, representing Colorado, bringing the total number of stars to 38.

Several unofficial designs with concentric circles became popular, probably caused by the popular First Centennial designs used in the 1876 celebrations. Versions of the flag included both elongated and regular circle versions. The flag with the elongated oval-shaped star design, was depicted on the 1976 commemorative postage stamp set, with 13 white and red stripes, blue canton with one larger white 5-pointed star in center, 13 white 5-pointed stars in oval around central star, 20 white 5-pointed stars in oval around that and one white 5-pointed star in each corner. As previously mentioned, the pattern with the stars arranged with one in the center and two concentric rings of stars and one in each corner, had became extremely popular during the Civil War and remained so until the late 1800s. 35-Star US Flag Free Soiler Party Flag 1848 The 35 stars were arranged in this manner to spell "FREE" to declare support for the Free Soil Movement.

The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership consisted of former anti-slavery members of the Whig Party and the Democratic Party. Its main purpose was opposing the expansion of slavery into the western territories, arguing that free men on free soil comprised a morally and economically superior system to slavery. They opposed slavery in the new territories and worked to remove existing laws that discriminated against freed blacks in states such as Ohio. 35-Star US Flag Lincoln Funeral Train Flag 1865 This flag with its black border and 36-Star Great Star was flown from the right-side fender of the locomotive that pulled Lincoln's funeral train. This flag was similar to the 36-star flag made by Annin & Co. that draped President Lincoln's casket, minus a larger star in the center. Annin made the coffin flag with 36 stars by mistake. A Black bunting (border) was later added to many of the mourning flags.

At least 10,000 people witnessed the train's departure from Washington. The funeral train consisted of nine cars, including a baggage and hearse car. Lincoln was observed, mourned, and honored by the citizens of Washington, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois on his way to his burial in Springfield at the Oak Ridge Cemetery. The train flying this special flag passed 444 communities in these 7 states. 81-Star (?) US Flag US Centennial Flag 1876 In 1876 Americans celebrated their nation's 100th birthday One enterprising manufacturer, ignoring the proper star count, produced this popular flag with 81 stars producing "1776-1876" with the star pattern. The actual state count by the end of 1876 should have produced a 39 stars on the flag. 37-Star US Flag The Hourglass Design 1877 The design shown here appears to have crossing diagonal lines of stars outlining the shape of the Cross of St. Andrew.

Some see in this design Southern sympathies for the reconstruction south; but, if the flag is placed upright, it will also be seen that the arrangement also depicts the shape of an hourglass with two stars representing two centuries, in the process of dropping to the bottom of the glass. We could have here, therefore, perhaps a most imaginate composition celebrating the advent of the nation's First Centennial. 44-Star US Flag Star Column Flag 1891 Hawaii lost its independence to an armed revolt led by American residents in 1893, and was annexed to the United States in 1898. I like to call this design a "Starry Column" or "Starry Pillar," complete with its starry base and capitol. American business interests supported the overthrow of the Hawaiian government in January of 1893, whereupon they hoisted the Stars and Stripes. At first rebuffed in their attempt to secure annexation by the United States, the new leaders proclaimed Hawaii a republic in 1894 under its former national flag, but in 1898, it was officially made a U.S. territory.

The former national flag of the kingdom and the republic was adopted, unchanged, by both the territory, and later, the state. 44-Star US Flag Washburn Patent Flag 1891 In 1890, a man named William Washburn living in Rockland, Massachusetts, filed a patent on this interesting design for a 44-Star flag. Other than the patent filed by Washburn there is very little known about this particular design. It is unknown if any flags using this design were ever manufactured or flown. 48-Star US Flag The Whipple American History Flag 1917 In 1910, Wayne Whipple, a well-known author of popular books on American history, proposed a meaningful design for the star pattern of the flag. His idea was that the central 13 stars should represent the original states as on the great seal, then to surround them with a ring of 25 stars representing the states that joined the Union in the first 100 years, and then finally have a ring of ten stars representing the states that joined in the second hundred years. He called his design a "History" flag.

He then challenged students who read his book to come up with their ideas for a meaningful star arrangement. Whipple's flag design was produced by the Dettra Flag Company, which they sold as the "Whipple Peace Flag" to celebrate the end of World War I in 1917. 50th Anniversary Flag Proposed 50th Birthday of the 50-Star Flag 2010 To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 50-Star US Flag (1960-2010) there have been several suggestions put forth, although Congress or the President haven't seemed interested in making anything official. It seems a shame not to celebrate the 50th birthday of our longest living flag. Proposed designs range from the simple idea of Vexillologist Ed Mooney of making all the 50 stars gold instead of white, to this interesting multicolored version design by Vexillologist Peter Orenski mixing 26 gold stars and surrounded by 24 tradition white ones to form a number 50.

50-Star US Flag 50-Star History Flag In 1979, this interesting 50-Star design was suggested by the well-known Flag Historian (Vexillologist) Dave Martucci for a new design of the United States flag. According to Dave the symbolism is exactly the same as Wayne Whipple's history flag. In fact, he simply updated Whipple's design. Thirteen stars in shape of 6-pointed star (from Crest of US Arms) for original states, ring of 25 for states that joined the Union in first century, 3 in each corner making 12, the number of states that joined in the second century. 13-Star US Flag Second Revolution Flag (Tea Party Flag) 2010 The Tea Party movement is an American socio-political movement that emerged in 2009 through a series of locally and nationally coordinated protests. The protests are partially in response to several Federal laws and a series of health care reform bills. The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the Boston Tea Party of 1773 which was a protest by American colonists against various acts by the British Government.

The modern Tea Party protests have invoked themes, images and slogans similar to those used during the pre-revolutionary period in American history. 51-Star US Flag Puerto Rico Statehood Movement This is the 51-star version of the United States flag that is commonly used by supporters of the Puerto Rican Statehood Movement which advocates Puerto Rico's admission into the United States of America as the 51st state. This interesting circular designed canton has been popular among statehood supporters on the island for years, used by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico whose main party platform is statehood, yet the designer of the flag is unknown. This page is an expansion of Dave Martucci's excellent " Official United States Flags " chart.

Question: How many times has the flag known as the stars and stripes been changed since it was first adopted by 13 American states?
Answer: 26