History of the U.S. Flag

Evils of Necessity III
Which flag is it anyway?

1777

Betsy Ross, a very "close" friend of General George Washington, is asked to sew the first official U.S. Flag. Betsy's version uses stars with 6 points. Washington later has the stars changed to 5 points each.

Two versions of the U.S. flag are created. One with vertical stripes for peace time and one with horizontal stripes is designed for times of war.

On June 14, 1777, 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."

1777
June 14, 1777 - April 30, 1795
Configuration: 13 stars, 13 stripes; red stripe on first row
States added: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island

1780
Congressman Francis Hopkinson is given credit for designing the U.S. flag and Congress compensates him for his work. However, history writers continue to give credit to Betsy Ross.

Act of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.

1795
May 1, 1795 - July 3, 1818
Configuration: 15 stars, 15 stripes; white stripe on first row
States added: Vermont, Kentucky

Act of April 4, 1818 - provided for 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.

1818
July 4, 1818 - July 3, 1819
Configuration: 20 stars; flag returns to having only 13 stripes, starting with red on first row; this stripe configuration never changed again States added: Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi

1819
July 4, 1819 - July 3, 1820
Configuration: 21 stars
State added: Illinois

1820
July 4, 1820 - July 3, 1822
Configuration: 23 stars
States added: Alabama, Maine

1822
July 4, 1822 - July 3, 1836
Configuration: 24 stars
State added: Missouri

1836
July 4, 1836 - July 3, 1837
Configuration: 25 stars
State added: Arkansas

1837
July 4, 1837 - July 3, 1845
Configuration: 26 stars
State added: Michigan

1845
July 4, 1845 - July 3, 1846
Configuration: 27 stars
State added: Florida

1846
July 4, 1846 - July 3, 1847
Configuration: 28 stars
State added: Texas

1847
July 4, 1847 - July 3, 1848
Configuration: 29 stars
State added: Iowa

1848
July 4, 1848 - July 3, 1851
Configuration: 30 stars
State added: Wisconsin

1851
July 4, 1851 - July 3, 1858
Configuration: 31 stars
State added: California

1858
July 4, 1858 - July 3, 1859
Configuration: 32 stars
State added: Minnesota

1859
July 4, 1859 - July 3, 1861
Configuration: 33 stars
State added: Oregon

1861
July 4, 1861 - July 3, 1863
Configuration: 34 stars
State added: Kansas

Peace time U.S. flags with vertical stripes discontinued. The peace time U.S. flag is never restored as the U.S. government doesn't officially end the Civil War leaving the nation lingering under military control.

1863
July 4, 1863 - July 3, 1865
Configuration: 35 stars
State added: West Virginia

1865
July 4, 1865 - July 3, 1867
Configuration: 36 stars
State added: Nevada

1867
July 4, 1867 - July 3, 1877
Configuration: 37 stars
State added: Nebraska

1877
July 4, 1877 - July 3, 1890
Configuration: 38 stars
State added: Colorado

1890
July 4, 1890 - July 3, 1891
Configuration: 43 stars
States added: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho

1891
July 4, 1891 - July 3, 1896
Configuration: 44 stars
State added: Wyoming

1895
A gold fringe becomes a required addition when the U.S. flag is flown under military jurisdiction. Civilians are allowed but not required to use the gold fringe for honorable enrichment.

1896
July 4, 1896 - July 3, 1908
Configuration: 45 stars
State added: Utah

1908
July 4, 1908 - July 3, 1912
Configuration: 46 stars
State added: Oklahoma

Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 - 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.

1912
July 4, 1912 - July 3, 1959
Configuration: 48 stars;
States added: New Mexico, Arizona

Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.

Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizon tally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.

1959
July 4, 1959 - July 3, 1960
Configuration: 49 stars
State added: Alaska

1960
July 4, 1960 - present
Configuration: 50 stars
State added: Hawaii

Today
An old protocol of flying an upside down flag as a signal of distress becomes a national symbol showing concern over the disturbing abuse of federal government control and power.

In the 1990's, Congress makes several attempts to Amend the U.S. Constitution to ban desecration of the U.S. Flag but the attempts die in Committee because such an Amendment would not have any legal force within the States unless all 50 States also Amend their Constitutions.