From 13 Colonies to 50 Stars: The History of the U.S. Flag

The original flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

The flag you salute today — with 50 stars representing all the states and 13 stripes symbolizing the original colonies — looks much different than it did 250 years ago. In fact, since the Revolutionary War, the U.S. flag has gone through more than two dozen different looks.

Here are a few of them:

1707: The banner that flew over the American colonies was all red with Great Britain’s Union Flag stitched in the corner.

1770s: When colonial Americans began fighting Great Britain for independence, many flags reflected the rebellion. Red and white stripes representing each of the 13 colonies appeared on flag designs. Others showcased words like “Liberty” and pine trees, a symbol native to New England.

1777: The first official flag adopted by the Continental Congress featured red and white stripes and 13 stars in a circle on a blue corner field.

1814: The flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the final months of the War of 1812 had 15 stars and 15 stripes to include the two newest states at the time — Vermont and Kentucky.

1818: The 20-star flag was introduced after Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi gained statehood. As new states joined the union, more stars were added to the flag.