How many stripes are there on the american flag

The flag is a primary artifact at the National Museum of American History and was last displayed in Tennessee by permission of the Smithsonian at an exhibition in Between and Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state. Today the flag consists of 13 horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 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 as well; red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. This preservation effort began in earnest in June , and continues to this day.

The flag is now stored at a degree angle in a special low-oxygen, filtered light chamber and is periodically examined at a microscopic level to detect signs of decay or damage within its individual fibers. There are a few locations where the U. Five stars were added to represent five new states: Tennessee , Ohio , Louisiana , Indiana , and Mississippi The star flag became the official flag on April 13, , and it was the first of nine flags to only last about a year.

Just over a year after the twenty-star flag was introduced, the United States added Illinois to the Union, boosting the number of states to Illinois, where future president Abraham Lincoln began his political career, was admitted on Dec. The number of U. The flag became the official U. President James Monroe was the only president to serve under this flag as well as the previous two flags. The flag expanded to 24 stars with the addition of Missouri in Missouri, a slave state, was admitted as part of the Missouri Compromise, which sought to achieve a balance of free and slave states during the antebellum period.

The compromise included the admission of Maine, a free state, which had separated from Massachusetts and become a state the previous year. Arkansas joined the Union as a slave state on June 15, Less than a month later, its star was included in the U.

Arkansas was part of the Louisiana Purchase and carved out of what became the Missouri Territory to become its own territory. Michigan was admitted to the Union in as a free state to help maintain the balance between slave and free states. Michigan's admission had been thwarted because of a border dispute with Ohio — which had been admitted as a state in — but President Andrew Jackson helped Michigan save face by awarding it land from the Upper Peninsula, and then it was granted statehood, boosting the number of states to Florida, a former possession of the Spanish empire, was admitted to the Union in , raising the total number of U.

It would not remain in the Union for long: Florida would secede in In , the flag would undergo another change, this time because of the admission of Texas. Before becoming the 28th state, the Lone Star state had broken away from Mexico in It was an independent republic before joining the Union and becoming the biggest state in land mass in the contiguous 48 states.

Iowa was admitted to the Union on Dec. Its star was added to the U. Originally part of the Louisiana Purchase, Iowa grew dramatically because of its rich farmland. Iowa had been established as a U. Wisconsin became a state on May 29, , adding the 30th star to the U. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age.

You can also manage your communication preferences by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in.

In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at www. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Now Reading:. Membership My Account. Rewards for Good. Share with facebook. Share with twitter. Share with linkedin. Share using email. Getty Images. Myth 5: It's against the law to burn the American flag In the landmark case Texas v. Myth 6: It's illegal to wear clothing bearing the flag The Flag Code is a set of flag etiquette guidelines developed in by the American Legion and other organizations. Although it has never had any official status, it was used throughout the American Revolutionary War by George Washington and formed the basis for the design of the first official United States flag.

This is the design of the flag of the District of Columbia. More likely it was based on a flag of the Sons of Liberty, one of which consisted of 13 red and white alternating horizontal stripes. The Flag Resolution did not specify any particular arrangement for the stars. The so-called Betsy Ross Flag with the thirteen stars arranged in a circle , although never an official flag, is the oldest version of any United States flag to appear on any physical relic: it is historically referenced in contemporary battlefield paintings by John Trumbull and Charles Willson Peale, which depict the circular star arrangement.

Popular designs at the time were varied and most were individually crafted rather than mass-produced. Given the scant archaeological and written evidence, it is unknown which design was the most popular at that time. The origin of the stars and stripes design is uncertain. A popular story credits Betsy Ross for sewing the first flag from a pencil sketch by George Washington who personally commissioned her for the job.