For America250, on what date did Congress adopt the first official U.S. flag?
Answer
June 14, 1777
For America250, the first official U.S. flag was adopted on June 14, 1777.
The Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution on that date. It specified 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars on a blue field, representing the 13 states or former colonies then united in the Revolution.
The resolution did not prescribe the later familiar arrangement of stars. Early flags could display the stars in different patterns, including a circle, rows, or other layouts. The circular arrangement is strongly associated with the Betsy Ross flag, although the story attributing its design to Betsy Ross is not firmly documented.
June 14 is now observed in the United States as Flag Day. The current flag differs from the 1777 version because stars were added as new states joined the Union, while the number of stripes was fixed at 13.