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Washington declared the Grand Union Flag to be hoisted at its base at Prospect Hill
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In May of 1776, Betsy Ross sewed the first American Flag. It had thirteen stars and 13 stripes.
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Between 1777 and 1960, in order to make the American flag more up to date. Every time there was a new state, the flag was altered.
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In order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."
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This act provided for the flag to contain 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.
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This act provided for the flag to contain 13 stripes and one star for each state. They were added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state. This act was signed by President Monroe.
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This established the proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars to be in six horizontal rows of eight each, and a single point of each star to be upward.
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This order provided for the arrangement of the stars to be in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.
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This order provided for the arrangement of the stars to be in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.
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Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes; seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, while the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. 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.
